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2062 WBL Preseason Preview

2061 saw 5 new teams make the playoffs. The preseason projections expect some of that change to continue. A number of defending division champions are tipped to fall back, several former powers appear ready to return, and five or six clubs have realistic chances of winning their first division title.

TAO Preview

South America

Projected favourite: Bogota Condors, 96-66

Bogota enter as one of the clearest first-time division-title candidates in the league. The Condors have already won the 2054 TAO championship despite never taking South America, and the projection gives them an eight-game advantage over the chasing group.

Behind them, almost everyone appears to be standing on the same patch of grass. Quito are projected for 88 wins, with Asunción, defending champions Córdoba and Porto Alegre all on 87. Caracas sit only one game further back.

A Bogota title would therefore be historically significant, but hardly comfortable. Córdoba’s offence is projected to decline sharply, although their excellent pitching could keep them involved. Quito, whose last crown came in 2051, are the strongest candidate for a return to the top.

Manaus are projected to slip to 83 wins after their remarkable postseason run. October may have been a wonderful fever dream rather than a new baseline.

Central America & Oceania

Projected favourite: Guatemala City Ocelots, 98-64

Guatemala City are expected to remain the class of the division. After winning in both 2060 and 2061, they are chasing a third consecutive crown and are projected to combine one of the TAOÂ’s strongest offences with elite run prevention.

The more interesting story may sit directly behind them. San Pedro Sula are predicted to win 95 games despite never having won the division. Port Moresby, champions four times between 2040 and 2057, are projected for 93, while Sydney and Managua follow on 92 and 91.

San Pedro Sula have perhaps the best chance of any TAO club to claim a first division title. Managua are another first-time candidate, though they may need the Ocelots to leave the door unusually wide.

Panama City are projected for 88 wins. The former world champions remain dangerous, but the model sees them closer to the wildcard race than to reclaiming the division.

North America - West

Projected favourites: Alaska Moose and Las Vegas Jacks, 92-70

No division looks more open.

Alaska and Las Vegas are tied at the top, Los Angeles are one game behind, Arizona two back, and Honolulu and Montana only three away. Six teams are projected to finish between 89 and 92 wins.

Las Vegas have not won the division since 2041, while Los Angeles last did so in 2046. Either would represent a substantial return from the historical margins. AlaskaÂ’s last title came in 2055.

Montana are the first-time title outsider to watch. They have never won North America - West, but an 89-win projection places them firmly inside the contest.

Defending champions Tijuana are forecast to fall all the way to 80-82. After 101 wins in 2061, that is one of the most dramatic predicted declines anywhere in the WBL.

North America - East

Projected favourite: Miami Swordfish, 97-65

The model expects the division to return to its familiar Miami-Memphis argument.

Miami are projected for 97 wins, with defending division and TAO champions Memphis two games behind. The SteamersÂ’ first pennant may not have changed their underlying profile much: they remain powerful, dangerous and apparently attracted to close games.

New Jersey are projected for 91 wins and remain one of the stronger first-time division-title candidates. The Jellyfish have repeatedly reached the postseason without taking the division, and this may be their best opportunity yet.

New Orleans, Cincinnati and Washington are all expected to remain relevant. WashingtonÂ’s deep 2061 run is followed by an 89-win prediction, while Cincinnati could challenge for their first crown if the two favourites stumble.

EAA Preview

Europe

Projected favourite: Stockholm Orcas, 96-66

Europe may be ready for a complete change at the top.

Stockholm have never won the division, but enter as four-game favourites over London. The Gentlemen, whose only division crown came in 2051, are themselves being tipped for a return to prominence.

Sheffield and Vienna are tied on 90 wins. Vienna have not finished first since 2048, while the Mountain Hares are still seeking the first playoff appearance in the franchise's history.

Bucharest, winners in 2060 and 2061, are projected to fall from 104 wins to 88. That still makes them a postseason contender, but no longer the divisionÂ’s fixed point. Minsk and Madrid remain close enough to punish anyone who underperforms.

Warsaw receive little reward for their run to the EAA Championship Series, with the model predicting an 80-82 season. The computer has admired their October resilience and then moved on with its day.

Sheffield Mountain Hares Outlook

Sheffield are projected to finish 90-72, seven wins better than last season and tied for third in Europe.

The offence should be lively. The Hares are expected to combine significant power with one of the leagueÂ’s most aggressive running games, while Eskinder Ali is projected to remain among the EAAÂ’s very best hitters.

The concern is pitching. SheffieldÂ’s rotation looks serviceable rather than dominant, and the club may need several younger or newly acquired players to perform near the top of their ranges.

A wildcard spot feels like a realistic target - which is promising for a team still looking for its first playoff apeparance.

Africa

Projected favourite: Dar es Salaam Giraffes, 101-61

While Dar es Salaam are tipped to return to the top for the first time since 2058, Casablanca and Nairobi, neither of whom have ever won the division, are projected for 99 and 98 wins respectively.

Casablanca may be the strongest first-title candidate outside Osaka and Stockholm. NairobiÂ’s 2061 postseason run also appears to have been more than a brief flare, with the Lilacs expected to combine a strong offence with enough pitching to remain near the top.

Ouagadougou are projected for 92 wins, while Nouakchott remain dangerous on 89. Defending champions Kano, meanwhile, fall to 86 wins and sixth place in the projection.

The Camels have won three of the last six division titles, but the model expects the rest of Africa to catch up all at once.

West & South-East Asia

Projected favourites: Mumbai Directors and Singapore Shipwrights, 98-64

The defending division champions and defending world champions are projected to finish level.

MumbaiÂ’s strength is built around pitching, with two starters forecast among the EAAÂ’s best. Singapore are expected to take a louder route, scoring more than 1,000 runs and fielding one of the leagueÂ’s deepest offences.

A Singapore victory would be their first division title since moving from Central & East Asia, though the franchise already owns five historical crowns from its previous home.

Yangon are only one game behind the favourites and appear ready to challenge for their first title since 2049. Karachi, projected for 95 wins, make this a genuine four-team race.

The defending champions look strong enough to repeat, but their own division may be the first obstacle.

Central & East Asia

Projected favourites: Osaka Blossoms and Pyongyang Grasshoppers, 102-60

This may be the strongest division in the WBL.

Osaka and Pyongyang are tied on 102 wins, with defending champions Seoul projected for 99. Chongqing sit fourth on 92, a total that would challenge for first place in several other divisions.

Osaka have never won the division and appear to have the strongest first-title case anywhere in the league. Their projected pitching is exceptional, with only 614 runs allowed.

Pyongyang are seeking a first crown since 2056 and remain the divisionÂ’s most decorated active contender, while SeoulÂ’s 2061 breakthrough is expected to carry into another 99-win season.

Chongqing have also never won the division. They are unlikely to catch all three favourites, but a 92-win projection leaves them well placed for the postseason.

First Division Title Watch

1. Osaka Blossoms

Projected for 102 wins with the strongest run prevention in the EAA. This looks like the clearest opportunity in franchise history.

2. Casablanca Corsairs

Projected for 99 wins and only two behind Dar es Salaam. AfricaÂ’s recent balance of power may finally shift towards Casablanca.

3. Stockholm Orcas

Four-game favourites in Europe despite never previously finishing first.

4. Bogota Condors

The strongest South American projection by eight games. A division title would fill the strangest gap in the history of a former TAO champion.

5. San Pedro Sula Fire

Projected for 95 wins and capable of pressuring Guatemala City throughout the season.


Former Powers Ready to Return

Several established clubs are projected to re-enter the division-title picture after long waits.

Las Vegas have not won since 2041, Los Angeles since 2046, Vienna since 2048 and Yangon since 2049. LondonÂ’s only crown came in 2051, while Quito are seeking their first since the same year.

Port Moresby and Sydney also look capable of returning to relevance in Central America & Oceania, while Pyongyang are expected to challenge strongly after reaching the Third Round last season.

Not every old power is returning. Calgary, the league’s only two-time World Series winner alongside Yaoundé and New Orleans, are projected below .500.

First Playoff Appearance Watch

Stockholm, Casablanca and San Pedro Sula are all projected to reach the postseason for the first time, with Stockholm tipped to win Europe and the other two forecast to qualify automatically as division runners-up. Managua sit directly on the TAO wildcard line, while Sheffield, Chongqing, Montana and Cincinnati remain plausible outsiders.

Defending Champions

Singapore look fully capable of defending their World Series title. Their projected offence is the most imposing in the league, although winning West & South-East Asia may prove nearly as difficult as surviving October.

Memphis are expected to remain among the TAOÂ’s best teams but begin slightly behind Miami in their division.

Among the defending division champions, Guatemala City, Mumbai and Seoul remain leading contenders. Bucharest are projected to regress but stay competitive.

The model is far less optimistic about Córdoba, Kano and especially Tijuana. Half of the 2061 division winners may therefore fail to repeat.

Prediction Picks

TAO Division Winners

South America: Bogota Condors
Central America & Oceania: Guatemala City Ocelots
North America - West: Alaska Moose
North America - East: Miami Swordfish

EAA Division Winners

Europe: Stockholm Orcas
Africa: Dar es Salaam Giraffes
West & South-East Asia: Singapore Shipwrights
Central & East Asia: Osaka Blossoms

TAO Champion: Guatemala City Ocelots

The Ocelots remain the most complete projected team in the conference and should have another opportunity to turn regular-season dominance into their first pennant.

EAA Champion: Osaka Blossoms

OsakaÂ’s projected pitching gives them the best October foundation in the EAA. Their first division title could lead directly to their first pennant.

World Series Prediction: Osaka Blossoms defeat Guatemala City Ocelots

It would be another first-time champion, and the 20th different winner in 23 WBL seasons.