[Elendil]

Old Orchard Beach Surge

The Surge are another franchise out of collegiate ball, which helped give them a slightly larger financial base to work with than the brand-new franchises. They play in The Ballpark at Old Orchard Beach, which is slightly larger than most of the other stadiums in the league.



The Surge shrewdly sealed contracts with young players first, some of whom were later bought by major-league clubs, yielding extra cash. As a result, the Surge were able, despite their smallish market, to put up the second-highest payroll in the league while signing players to short-term contracts.

The Surge rotation goes at least three deep with solid, above-average pitchers. Number one is 28-year-old southpaw Chris Jones, who has a career 3.80 ERA in the minors but has not made it above AAA. Mickey Storey is number two. Thirty-one years old, Storey has a 4.19 ERA in 34 innings and is especially noted for his control. Thirty-year-old Ki-Tae Kim comes next; he has a career 5.35 ERA in Korea. Boone Whiting, 31, starts the season on the DL with an oblique strain; he has a 3.91 career minor league ERA and is vulnerable to the big fly.

The Surge bullpen is definitely a weak point. Vic Black, 28, is the stopper. He has a 2.96 ERA in 52 major-league innings, but he sat out 2016 due to a PED suspension and is attempting to make a comeback.

Right fielder Christian Marrero, 30 years of age, is probably the main slugging threat on the Surge. He's never made it to the majors but has had a lengthy minor league career. He has plenty of pop and a great eye.

Also noteworthy are 3B Ryan Wheeler, 28, who's slashed a .641 OPS in 183 major-league appearances, and rangy 2B Alden Carrithers, 32, who boasts a 113 OPS+ in a long minor-league career. The best-paid hitter on the team, making just over $20,000, is actually first baseman Brett Harper, 35, who amassed a .956 OPS in the Mexican League last year.

Projected record: 58-50. If they can stay healthy, they should have even more upside than that.