The Full Count Baseball Leagues Toronto Maniacs

[ryan008]

This dynasty report will chronicle the exploits of the Toronto Maniacs who are a part of the Full Count Baseball League, a league that is currently run using OOTP 14. The league does not use scouting or player development and is currently in the 2031 season.


Background

The Toronto Maniacs have been in the league since the very beginning (although they started out as the Toronto Nationals). The league started in 2010 and the Maniacs have been a winning team for the most part with a record of 1812-1572 over their 20 years of existence. The Maniacs have managed to make it to the post season a total of 9 times and are two time FCB Champions claiming the title in 2015 and 2018.


New Management

GM Ryan Stewart took control of the team part way through the 2028 season. The club is in a definite decline. Coming off a stretch of 5 consecutive playoff appearances (2021-2026) the Maniacs were perennial contenders in the FCB Eastern Division but an aging core, poor drafting and some key free agent losses had started to take their toll on the storied franchise and the team had not made the playoffs since the 2026 season.


In GM Ryan Stewart's first three seasons with the club they have finished in the bottom 6 of the standings every year:


2028 - 71-91 (3rd in East, 6th last in League)
2029 - 65-97 (5th in East, 2nd last in League)
2030 - 69-93 (5th in East, 3rd Last in League)


The future is starting to look a little brighter for the Maniacs however. Finishing so low in the standings has allowed the team to amass a number of talented youngsters and the team had the #1 ranked farm system for a good portion of the season last year.


The Plan Moving Forward

GM Ryan Stewart is all about sustainability. "We want to put together a major league roster that is competitive and have a farm system that can continually be refreshing the talent at the top level" This is not going to be a fast process. We are going to have to draft well and bring in talent through the International route and most of all be able to develop those players into pieces at the major league level. I think within the next 3 to 5 seasons we can be back to competing for the playoffs and that is the goal that we have set.


Finances

The Maniacs play in a very healthy market (ranked as rather big) and have a very loyal fan base. This translates into a budget in the $128,000,000 range which ranks 10th in the FCB. Their current payroll is $42,762,476 which ranks 20th in the FCB. The Maniacs have the flexibility and the budget room to make things happen heading into the 2031 preseason and could be poised to make some major moves.


Full Count Baseball Structure




Up Next: The offseason ins underway, the draft is around the corner and Spring Training is not far off!

[ryan008]

The Offseason to Date
March 31st, 2031


As GM Ryan Stewart pours over scouting reports for the 1st round of the upcoming FCB First Year Player Draft (which will be an important pick for the club as they will select 3rd overall), lets recap what has happened with the Maniacs to date:


Free Agency

At the conclusion of the 2030 season the club had two players who were set to become free agents and were not tendered contracts or extensions for the 2031 season. Both players would end up going to free agency and signing with other teams.


The toughest loss was that of MR Isreal Morales. The 31 year old lefty was originally drafted by the Maniacs in the 1st round 12th overall in the 2017 First Year Player Draft out of IBAS Pastora de los Llanos academy. He spent his entire 14 year career with the Maniacs. He broke in with the big club in 2021 and by 2023 was one of the best pitchers in the game posting a 21-4 record with a 3.11 ERA and earned an All Star nod and the Nolan Ryan Award as the best pitcher in the FCB. The two time All Star ahs a career record of 108-76 with a career ERA of 4.27. He indicated to GM Ryan Stewart that he would not be resigning with the club and wanted to test the free agent waters to once again play for a winner and attempt to win that elusive FCB title.


The Maniacs also lost SP Jose Aguilar. Aguilar, a 30 year old righty was originally a 15th round pick 200th overall by Victoria in the 2018 First Year Player Draft. He signed with the Maniacs as a free agent in 2029 and was 9-20 with a 6.43 ERA walking 104 and striking out 235 for the Maniacs in 2030. He has a big arm and can run his fastball up there at 99-101 MPB but struggles with command and doesn't have a lot of movement on his pitches.


Rule V Draft


The Maniacs selected one player and lost one player in this years Rule V Draft. With the 3rd overall selection the Maniacs picked up a familiar face in 28 year old SP Matt Parke. Parke was picked up by the Maniacs in a trade with the Vancouver Mounties in 2029 and left the team as a minor league free agent in 2030. He signed with the Philadelphia Liberty prior to the 2030 season and was 9-6 with a 3.58 ERA with 73 BB and 156 K for the Liberty's AAA affiliate in Minneapolis. He was picked up to compete for the #4/5 spot in the rotation and is a durable lefty who should be able to go out there every 5th day and eat innings.


The Maniacs lost 1B Ken Robinson to the Winnipeg Aeros. Robinson, a 23 year old right handed batter spent the entire 2030 season with the Maniacs Rookie Ball team in Corner Brook where he hit .335 with 13 HR and 67 RBI.


Free Agent Signing

GM Ryan Stewart was pleased to announce the teams first signing of the offseason inking 34 year old righty SP Julio Sanchez to a 3 year deal worth a total of $4,400,000. Sanchez was a 4th round pick 75th overall in 2019 out of the University of Miami by the New York Americans. He was 4-5 with a 4.96 ERA walking 44 and striking out 119 for Anchorage last season. Sanchez also has a big arm and can run his fastball in the 99-101 MPH range and he features a wide assortment of pitches throwing a fastball, sinker, cutter, slider and changeup. He was brought in to provide some depth at the back end of the Maniacs rotation and should compete along with the recently acquired SP Matt Parke for the #4 or 5 spot in the rotation.

[ryan008]

While the offseason rolls along lets have a look at the Maniacs current collection of players on the 40 man roster. We'll start this 3 part story off with the starting pitchers.


40 Man Roster - Part 1: The Starting Pitchers

SP Fabien Bonnaud (30, RHP)
2030 Stats: 9-8 4.23 ERA 30 BB 109 K 1.27 WHIP (AAA Milton)
GM's Comment: Bonnaud is nothing more than organizational depth. He has never pitched above AAA ball and has spent his entire career in the Jays organization. His outlook for the 2031 season will see him headed back to AAA Milton and will be a good mentor for some of the more talented arms that are moving up behind him.

SP Cherif Goncalves (24, LHP)
2030 Stats: 12-4 3.70 ERA 62 BB 202 K 1.24 WHIP (AA Medicine Hat)
GM's Comment: A former 9th round pick 185th overall in 2024, he was signed by the Maniacs in 2026 as a minor league free agent. He put up some impressive numbers in AA and will get a chance at pitching in the starting rotation in AAA this year. He grades out as about an average major league starter and could possibly see some time as a #5 starter or long reliever out of the bullpen down the road.

SP Bernie Hooper (31, RHP)
Salary: $650,000 (Arbitration Eligible)
2030 Stats: 9-13 5.64 ERA 60 BB 122 K 1.45 WHIP (Toronto Maniacs)
GM's Comment: Hooper is a homegrown talent coming up through the Maniacs minor league system and finally earning a spot in the rotation last year. He put up decent numbers as the #5 starter last season but will have some competition from some of the recent acquisitions this offseason. He still has an option left so he can be sent down to AAA if he doesn't make the club out of Spring Training.


SP Ed Olson (27, RHP)
Salary: $413,771 (Arbitration Eligible)
2030 Stats: 8-15 5.31ERA 59 BB 139 K 1.50 WHIP (Toronto Maniacs)
GM's Comment: Olson is a frustrating pitcher. He was a 1st round pick 17th overall in 2023 by the Maniacs out of Lubbock High School and has never really lived up to his draft status. He has the potential and stuff to be a #2 or 3 starter at the major league level he just can't seem to pull it all together. He heads into the spring looking like he will be in the mix for the middle of the Maniacs starting rotation.


SP Matt Parke (28, LHP)
Salary: Minor League Contract
2030 Stats: 9-6 3.58 ERA 73 BB 156 K 1.23 WHIP (AAA Minneapolis)
GM's Comment: Toronto re-acquired Parke in the Rule V draft this offseason, selecting him 3rd overall from Philadelphia. He was acquired with the intention of adding some depth at the back end of the rotation. He has to remain on the 25 man roster for the entire season or Toronto must offer him back to Philadelphia.


SP Juan Pina (23, LHP)
Salary: $413,771 (Auto Renew)
2030 Stats: 6-13 6.52 ERA 66 BB 51 K 1.62 WHIP (Toronto Maniacs)
GM's Comment: Pina is another former 1st round pick having been selected 17th overall in 2027 out of Portland High School by Toronto. He was rated as the #26th best prospect in all of baseball last year and made his debut with the Maniacs going 6-13 with a 6.52 ERA. He walked more batters than he strikes out which is a little bit troubling. He scouts as a top of the rotation arm and the Maniacs are hoping he takes a step forward this season.


SP Anibal Rodriguez (30, LHP)
Salary: $5,250,000 (Arbitration Eligible)
2030 Stats: 14-11 4.37 ERA 83 BB 137 K 1.50 WHIP (Toronto Maniacs)
GM's Comment: A former 24th round pick 332nd overall in 2018 out of Westerville Central High School, he was Toronto's #1 starter last season and the only one in the starting rotation to have a winning record. He does not scout as a top of the rotation arm but he gives the team innings and a chance to win. He will likely be the opening day starter for the Maniacs this season.


SP Julio Sanchez (34, RHP)
Salary: $1,100,000 (3 years, 3rd a team option @ $2,200,000)
2030 Stats: 4-5 4.96 ERA 44 BB 119 K 1.20 WHIP (New York Americans)
GM's Comment: A former 4th round pick out of the University of Miami by the New York Americans in 2019 he was signed to a 3 year deal worth $4,400,000 this offseason. GM Ryan Stewart brought him in to compete for a spot in the back end of the rotation.


SP Nicolaas Van Broeke (24, LHP)
Salary: Minor League Contract
2030 Stats: 4-17 7.04 ERA 94 BB 79 K 1.89 WHIP (AAA Milton)
GM's Comment: He was a 2nd round pick by Vancouver in 2026 and came over to Toronto in 2029. He may have been rushed up to AAA a little too fast and the results seem to bore that out. He probably is nothing more than a #5/emergency starter at the MLB level but he really needs some work in AAA before that happens. Depending on his start to the 2031 season he could find himself back in AA.


Not on the 40 Man Due to Injury


SP Jun Hayashi (26, RHP)
Salary: $413,771 (Arbitration Eligible)
2030 Stats: 0-4 6.25 ERA 13 BB 39 K 1.45 WHIP (Toronto Maniacs)
GM's Comment: Hayashi was a 1st round pick 22nd overall by the Yakault Swallows in the Nippon Baseball League and came over to the FCB in 2028 when he signed a minor league contract with Vancouver. He was picked up off waivers by the Maniacs in 2029 and opened the 2030 season as the teams #2 starter. A torn flexor tendon ended his season after just 7 games and he still requires another 5 weeks before it is fully healed. Once he is back to 100% the Maniacs expect him to be their #2 starter and are hoping the former All Star's injuries are behind him.


Overall Analysis

Rather disappointing and underwhelming. This team badly needs a clear cut #1 starter. They have a good collection of arms that would fill out a rotation nicely but at the moment they lack any real top end talent. The one exception could be SP Juan Pina, but at just 23 years old Pina has a long way to go before he is considered a #1 talent. The good news for Maniacs fans is the fact that they have 4 starters ranked in the top 100 of the top prospects list means that there is help on the way! We will get into the teams top prospects in another segment after the draft!


Up Next: Part 2 of the Meet the Maniacs that will look at the middle relievers on the 40 man roster.

[ryan008]

We continue our meet the Maniac's series with the second of three installments. This time I'll introduce the middle relievers and closers that make up the bullpen component of the 40 man roster.

40 Man Roster - Part 2: The Bullpen

MR Nate Edgar (32, RHP)
2030 Stats: 2-1 3.21 ERA 11 BB 27 K 1.36 WHIP (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $4,000,000 (Free agent in 2032)
GM's Comment: Edgar is a lifetime Maniac having been drafted in the 4th round 94th overall in 2020 out of Syracuse High School by Toronto in 2020. He started his career as a starter and managed to win 15 games in 2025 but injury troubles and a low stamina (3 on a 1-10 scale) have relegated him to a bullpen role. He has been the 8th inning setup man for the Maniacs and has excelled in that role in the last few seasons. He pretty much has that role cemented for next season barring injury during the spring.


MR Mason Hodge (32, RHP)
2030 Stats: 4-0 3.13 ERA 40 BB 102 K 1.18 WHIP (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $920,000(Free agent in 2034)
GM's Comment: Another Maniacs draft pick. He was selected in the 6th round 118th overall in 2018 out of Spring Valley High School by Toronto. He too started his career in the starting rotation and is a two time FCB All Star (2026 & 2027). He also has a low stamina and injuries have relegated him to the bullpen. He forms the other half of the 8th inning tandem with Nate Edgar and the pair give the Maniacs a very solid 1-2 punch in the latter innings of ball games.


MR Stanley Matthews (30, LHP)
2030 Stats: 6-5 1 SV 4.12 ERA 16 BB 51 K 1.42 WHIP (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $413,771 (Arbitration)
GM's Comment: A 4th round pick in 2021 by the Maniacs he is the lefty specialist/long reliever out of the pen for the Maniacs last season. He does a fantastic job against lefties and can hold his own against the righties. He doesn't throw very hard topping out in the 89-90 MPH range but he has 5 decent pitches and gets a lot of ground balls.


MR Vincent Penn (36, RHP)
2030 Stats: 0-0 6.26 ERA 26 BB 39 K 1.82 WHIP (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $868,919 (Free agent in 2033)
GM's Comment: The veteran righty was originally drafted in the 16th round 322nd overall by the Philadelphia Liberty in 2014. He signed a minor league contract with Toronto in 2029. The veteran struggled with Toronto last season after being one of the teams best relievers in 2029 (6-1 3.86 ERA). He has still has very good stuff but struggles with control and that's where he gets hurt. He will head into camp challenging for a spot in the middle of the Jays bullpen.


MR Michael Quigley (30, LHP)
2030 Stats: 4-0 1 SV 4.35 ERA 15 BB 58 K 1.29 WHIP (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $750,000 (Arbitration)
GM's Comment: A 2nd round pick in 2022 by the Halifax Mooseheads he was traded to Toronto in 2026. Quigley ahs good stuff and is a reliable lefty arm out of the pen. He is likely to reprise that roll in 2031.


MR Ricardo Roman (27, RHP)
2030 Stats: 1-0 1 SV 3.24 ERA 3 BB 7 K 1.44 WHIP (AAA Milton)
Salary: Minor League Contract
GM's Comment: A 12th round pick 245th overall by Detroit out of the University of Missouri in 2024, he was signed by the Maniacs in 2025 as a minor league free agent. He has a decent arm but very little stamina and has had trouble with injuries and consistency in the last few seasons. He does keep the ball on the ground and in the ballpark and will get a serious look at making the team out of Spring Training this season.


MR Palmer Savage (25, RHP)
2030 Stats: 0-0 1 SV 2.31 ERA 3 BB 10 K 0-94 WHIP (AAA Milton)
Salary: Minor League Contract
GM's Comment: A 3rd round pick 48th overall in 2025 out of El Paso High School by Virginia, he was selected 6th overall in the 2028 Rule V draft from Boston. At one time he was ranked as the #91 prospect in baseball but has struggled with command and injuries and now is relegated to a relieving role. He has a good chance of cracking the bullpen for the Maniacs this season as they still like the youngsters stuff and are hoping for a big season out of him this year.


MR William Wells (26, RHP)
2030 Stats: 2-2 2 SV 2.79 ERA 18 BB 30 K 1.34 WHIP (AAA Milton)
Salary: Minor League Contract
GM's Comment: A 6th round pick 115th overall by the Yomiuri Giants in 2023 he ended up signing as a minor league free agent with Denver in 2023. In 2028 he was picked up in the 3rd round of the Rule V draft. He has a big arm and the Jays see him as a good middle innings reliever right now with the potential to grow into a late innings arm based simply on his stuff. He will have to compete with a couple of other arms for a chance at making the club out of Spring Training.


CL Norberto Valentin (36, LHP)
2030 Stats: 6-10 32 SV ERA 35 BB 79 K 1.50 WHIP (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $1,000,000 (Free agent in 2033)
GM's Comment: A 4th round pick by the Montreal Expos 61st overall out of Wichita State in 2017. He was traded to Toronto in 2024 and has been in the Maniacs bullpen ever since. He has spent the last 2 seasons as the closer and has racked up 53 saves over that span. He is cemented in that role and is the leader of the bullpen. At just $1,000,000 this year and 2 more team options for $1,000,000 each he is a bargain for the Maniacs.


Bullpen Overall Analysis

Well the bullpen is in much better shape than the starting rotation. There are some solid veteran arms in there that should be able to do a reasonable job in the latter innings. The one upgrade I may look to make is to find a reliable long man. This team has shaky starting pitchers and more often than now I could end up having to bring in a reliever earlier than I would like.


Moving forward there really isn't a lot in the pipeline for the Maniacs. Its an area that really hasn't been addressed well in the draft. With the exception of CL Adrian Sheehan (more on him later) who was just drafted last season the Maniacs don't have a lot of power arms that will be able to fill the void in the near future.


Up Next: We conclude our meet the Maniacs 3 part segment with the final installment that will focus on the position players.

[ryan008]

This last segment will conclude the three part Meet the Maniacs Series and we will wrap up with the position players:

40 Man Roster - Part 3: Position Players



Catcher
C Carlton Fisk Jr (22, RHB)
2030 Stats: .240 20 HR 74 RBI (AA Medicine Hat)
Salary: Minor League Contract
GM's Comment: the son of former MLB'er Carlton Fisk, he was a 5th round draft pick 88th overall in 2028 out of Clearwater High School. His claim to fame is that he is an elite defensive catcher and he has won 3 consecutive gold glove awards (1 with short season A North Bay and two with AA Medicine Hat). Offensively his ratings suggest that he is a tick above average but he had a bit of a breakout season in AA last year belting 20 homeruns. His future is likely that of a backup catcher at the MLB level and he will likely be the #1 catcher for AAA Milton to start the season.


C Bobby Price (27, RHB)
2030 Stats: .266 10 HR 56 RBI (AAA Milton)
Salary: Minor League Contract
GM's Comment: A former 5th round pick by the Maniacs 101st overall in 2023 out of Cambridge High School. He is a terrible defensive catcher and doesn't have the offensive tools to overcome that. He is most likely nothing more than a backup at this point and with no other options he will be the backup on the MLB roster this season.


C Jesus Ruiz (30, LHB)
2030 Stats: .286 4 HR 44 RBI (Toronto)
Salary: $682,500 (arbitration)
GM's Comment: A former 3rd round pick by Edmonton in 2020, he was traded to Toronto in 2028 and has been the teams starting catcher ever since. He was the teams lone representative at the 2030 All Star game and is a premier defensive catcher. Offensively he won't hit a lot of homeruns but battles with the bat and puts a lot of balls in play. He will be the teams #1 catcher again this year and one of the leaders on and off the field for the Maniacs.


First Base


1B Eric Martin (33, Switch)
2030 Stats: .274 14 HR 59 RBI (Toronto)
Salary: $9,300,000 (Free agent in 2033)
GM's Comment: A 5th round pick of the Maniacs in the 2017 First Year Player Draft 83rd overall out of Oaks Christian High School. He Was the 2023 FCB Rookie of the Year winner, is a 3 time FCB All Star and won the 2029 Ozzie Smith Award for he best fielder at first base. He is not your prototypical power hitting first baseman, but he hits for a very good average and has a very patient approach at the plate. He is a fan favorite in Toronto and is one of the longest serving members left.


1B Juan Morales (29, RHB)
2030 Stats: .291 23 HR 70 RBI (AAA Milton)
Salary: Minor League Contract
GM's Comment: A 2nd round pick of the Maniacs in the 2024 First Year Player Draft 18th overall out of the University of Tennessee. He has spent his entire career in the Maniacs system and has been the starting first baseman for AAA Milton for the past 4 seasons. He is a slightly above average defensive first baseman and has a little more power than Eric Martin, but he has been blocked at the MLB level. At this point he is likely to be nothing more than a AAA regular and the Maniacs don't see him taking over for Martin anytime soon.


1B Eiji Onishi (25, LHB)
2030 Stats: .285 21 HR 64 RBI (AA Milton)
Salary: Minor League Contract
GM's Comment: A 10th round pick of the Jays back in 2027 he has tremendous power belting
74 homeruns across three minor league seasons highlighted by a monster season where he hit 42 in 2029 for A Kelowna. He is below average defensively and he is not very disciplined at the plate so is his pretty much an all or nothing type batter. At 25 he is getting a little old for AA but GM Ryan Stewart wants to keep him there to ensure that he is getting full time at bats. He could see AAA by the end of the season.


Second Base

2B Michael McConnell (28, RHB)
2030 Stats: .314 4 HR 19 RBI (AAA Milton)
Salary: Minor League Contract
GM's Comment: A 6th round pick of the Jays back in 2022, McConnell has been a Maniacs farm hand for his entire 9 year career. He has had a couple of brief callups with the Maniacs due to injuries at the MLB level. He has filled in adequately but doesn't have the offensive talent or the defensive ability (besides being very good at 1B) to stick at the MLB level. GM Ryan Stewart likes his ability and is happy to have him available at AAA Milton.


2B Jose Nieto (27, Switch)
2030 Stats: .270 4 HR 52 RBI (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $413,771 (Auto Renew)
GM's Comment: Nieto was a 4th round pick 80th overall by Vancouver out of LSU in 2026 and came over from Vancouver in a trade in 2029. He was impressive in his rookie season in Toronto and is a dynamite defender at second base. He will reprise his role as the everyday second baseman and the Maniacs are expecting big things out of him in his sophomore season.


Third Base


3B Daniel O'Neil (24, Switch)
2030 Stats: .171 5 HR 34 RBI (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $413,771 (Auto Renew)
GM's Comment: 4th round pick in 2026 by Vancouver and came over in a trade to Toronto in 2029. He struggled in his major league debut last season hitting to just a .171 tune in 68 games. He is a better defensive short stop and that may be his position in the long run. He might start the season in AAA Milton to get some more at bats to see if he can shake off a slow start last season.


3B Curt Harvey (28, Switch)
2030 Stats: .254 11 HR 79 RBI (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $413,771 (Auto Renew)
GM's Comment: 1st round pick 20th overall in 2025 out of Wake Forest by Toronto. He made his major league debut with the Maniacs in 2030 and put up some decent numbers. He has a good track record in the minors and was the AA Colonial League MVP in 2029. He doesn't hit for a lot of power but makes a lot of contact and gets on base quite a bit. He is expected to be the opening day third baseman and that could push #B Daniel O'Neil back down into AAA.


3B Hector Patino (36, RHB)
2030 Stats: .282 10 HR 50 RBI (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $1,500,000 (FA at the end of the season)
GM's Comment: Originally an 8th round pick 175th overall in the 2014 first year player draft by Chicago. He was acquired by the Maniacs in 2029 from Vancouver and has been the Maniacs starting 3B for the past 2 seasons. He looks like he will be relegated to a bench role with the club this season. GM Ryan Stewart likes what the veteran brings to the team but they really want to see what 3B Curt Harvey can do in his second full season. Rumour is he is on the trade block but this has yet to be confirmed.


Short Stop

SS Nicholas Sanchez (29, Switch)
2030 Stats: .215 0 HR 12 RBI (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $1,200,000 (Arbitration Eligible)
GM's Comment: The Halifax, Nova Scotia native was a 2nd round pick 41st overall by the Maniacs in the 2023 First Year Player Draft out of Joliette Junior College. He broke in with the club as the starting shortstop back in 2026 but found himself back in AAA in 2029 and parts of 2030. He is a decent defender and has good potential at the plate. GM Ryan Stewart likes his versatility and expects him to be the teams utility infielder and a valuable switch hitter off the bench.


SS Allan Wood (26, Switch)
2030 Stats: .316 0 HR 28 RBI (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $413,771 (Auto Renew)
GM's Comment: A former 1st round pick 19th overall in 2024 out of Pueblo High School by Vancouver, he was acquired by the Maniacs in a massive deal in 2029. He does not possess a lot of power but is good at putting the ball in play and does not strike out a ton. He put up some good numbers in his first pro season last year hitting .316 and like a number of other Maniacs GM Ryan Stewart is expecting him to make some strides forward heading into his second professional season.


Outfielders

LF Ernest McGuire (23, Switch)
2030 Stats: .214 6 HR 34 RBI (AAA Milton)
Salary: Minor League Contract
GM's Comment: He was a 7th round pick in 2027 by the Maniacs and spent the entire 2030 season with AAA Milton. He won the AAA Gold Glove award in 2030 and has premier defensive skills. He is quick on the bases and can steal easily. The problem is he has trouble getting on base. He is a free swinger that doesn't take a lot of walks and he strikes out way too much. He is likely ticketed for AAA Milton to start the 2031 season.


LF Juan Diaz (27, LHB)
2030 Stats: .273 14 HR 68 RBI (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $413,771 (Arbitration Eligible)
GM's Comment: A former 5th round pick 91st overall in 2023 by the Chicago Southpaws out of Lubbock High School. He was claimed off waivers from Chicago in 2029 by the Maniacs and has done a decent job as the teams starting left fielder hitting .273 in 139 games last season. He is above average defensively but his eye and discipline at the plate will keep him from being an elite talent at the MLB level.


LF Denver Smart (37, LHB)
2030 Stats: .275 28 HR 99 RBI (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $8,750,000 (Auto Renew)
GM's Comment: He is a former 1st round pick 3rd overall by the San Antonio Bulls back in 2016 out of Texas A&M. He was dealt to the Maniacs back in 2026 and has been the teams offensive leader since. He is a 5 time All Star and a fan favorite among Maniacs fans. He is starting to decline both offensively and defensively and is in the last year of a 5 year contract so he presents an interesting case for the Maniacs. Will he be resigned or possibly moved by the trade deadline this season.


CF Larry Navarro (24, LHB)
2030 Stats: .275 28 HR 88 RBI (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $413,771 (Arbitration)
GM's Comment: Navarro was the 7th overall pick in the 2028 draft by the Maniacs out of the University of Victoria. He was a 2030 All Star and he took home the 2030 Ozzie Smith Award winner in centerfield. He is a complete package and is easily a bright part of the Maniacs future. He is the teams franchise player and will be a focal point of the Maniacs rebuild.


CF Nicholas Morris (24, LHB)
2030 Stats: .245 15 HR 49 RBI (AA Medicine Hat)
Salary: Minor League Contract
GM's Comment: A 5th round pick 86th overall by the Maniacs in 2029 out of Clemson University. He has spent 3 years in Toronto's system and spent all of last season in AA Medicine Hat. He has some really good homerun power but struggles to make contact and strikes out a lot. He is very strong defensively and has a very strong arm. His future is likely that of a 4th outfielder who could be a capable backup at the MLB level. He won't make the team out of Spring this year as the Maniacs would like him to get some at bats in AAA.


RF Francisco Ramirez (36, RHB)
2030 Stats: .252 5 HR 21 RBI(Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $1,075,805 (Free Agent in 2032)
GM's Comment: Ramirez was the 19th overall pick in the 2014 first year player draft by the New York Neptunes and was traded to Toronto in 2019. He was the teams starting right fielder until the 2029 season when he was moved into a back up roll with the club. He is way below average defensively and will be used as a 5th outfielder and DH at times this season. He is signed for 1 more season after this but at a very reasonable price tag.


RF Dalton Gorman (29, LHB)
2030 Stats: .256 19 HR 61 RBI (Toronto Maniacs)
Salary: $750,000 (Arbitration Eligible)
GM's Comment: Gorman was a 4th round pick 81st overall in 2023 out of Bowmanville-Newcastle College by the Maniacs and has spent parts of 4 seasons with the Maniacs dating back to 2027. He was installed as the everyday right fielder last season and did a very nice job. He isn't flashy offensively but gets on base at a decent clip and he has some pop belting 19 homeruns in 433 at bats last season. Defensively he can play both outfield corners with gold glove calibre and has a very strong arm. He will be the teams opening day right fielder when the 2031 regular season starts.


Overall Analysis

The offence has a number of very good looking young hitters in there and overall they play some good defence which should help out a shaky pitching staff. Since I took over in 2029 my focus in the draft has been to rebuild the starting rotation depth and I may have neglected some other areas. I will have to start looking for replacements for Denver Smart and Francisco Ramirez as the two veterans are both getting close to the ends of their careers. It will be harder to replace Smart as he is a leader and fan favorite in Toronto.


Up Next: A look at the Maniacs top prospects

[ryan008]

Meet the Future Maniacs - Top Prospects Edition

In this bonus segment we will take a closer look at the future of the Toronto Maniacs. GM Ryan Stewart has been at the helm for 3 drafts now and has taken a barren farm system and turned it into one of the top minor league systems in the draft. For brief periods in 2030 the Maniacs held the #1 spot in the farm system rankings but would drop back to 7th after having one of their top prospects in SP Juan Pina graduate from the list as he spent most of the 2030 season in the Maniacs starting rotation.


GM Ryan Stewart will have a chance to add another haul of prospects to the minors as the First Year Player Draft is set to take place in few short days and the Maniacs hold the 3rd overall selection in the draft this season.


Top Prospects

#1 CF Manuel Hinestroza
Age: 20 Bats: 20 Height: 6'3" Weight: 190 Lbs
Acquired: 2nd round pick 23rd overall in 2030 by the Maniacs out of West Palm Beach High School.
2030 Stats: .247 6 HR 54 RBI (Corner Brook, Rookie League)
GM Comments: Hinestroza is a defensive wizard in the outfield with huge range, and a rocket for an arm. He scouts as a prototypical leadoff hitter at the big league level, he has great speed and base stealing instincts. His one downfall is he is a little undisciplined at the plate and a bit of a free swinger. He does see a lot of pitches and is not afraid to take a walk. At just 20 years old he is still a few years off being considered for a spot on the MLB roster and is ticketed for a second season in rookie ball and depending on his performance could see short season A ball by seasons end.


#2 SP Joe 'Live Wire' Payne
Age: 23 Throws: RHP Velocity: 97-99 MPH Height: 6'1" Weight: 205 Lbs
Acquired: 1st round pick 2nd overall in 2030 out of Cal State Fullerton by the Maniacs.
2030 Stats: 7-4 2.89 ERA 26 BB 86 K 1.07 WHIP (A, Kelowna)
3-4 3.86 ERA 27 BB 58 K 1.25 WHIP (AA, Medicine Hat)
GM Comments: Payne is the complete package as a starter. He has a big arm and very good control. His pitches are hard and heavy in the zone and they have great movement. He throws a cutter, slider and splitter and is able to use all of them for a strike. He will be in camp this spring but is most likely headed for AAA Milton to start the season. GM Ryan Stewart would like him to get at least a few AAA starts under his belt before he is called up to the big club. He scouts as a top of the rotation arm and the Maniacs have high hopes for him.


#3 SP Carlos Padilla
Age: 21 Throws: RHP Velocity: 97-99 MPH Height: 6'1" Weight: 205 Lbs
Acquired: 1st round pick 6th overall in 2029 out of Aurora Highs School by the Maniacs.
2030 Stats: 8-3 2.45 ERA 51 BB 103 K 1.21 WHIP (RL, Corner Brook)
4-0 1.80 ERA 28 BB 62 K 1.07 WHIP (SA, North Bay)
GM Comments: Padilla was GM Ryan Stewarts first choice in his inaugural draft in 2029. Padilla is another hard throwing righty with a good assortment of three pitches. He features a fastball, curve and slider and all three are plus pitches. He had great success across two levels last season and will start the season in A ball with Kelowna. He scouts as a future #1 or 2 starter at the MLB level and GM Ryan Stewart is hoping to pair him with SP Joe Payne at the top of the Maniacs rotation for years to come.


#4 RF Stanford Ruse
Age: 22 Bats: LHB Height: 5'11" Weight: 185 Lbs
Acquired: 2nd round pick 26th overall in 2029 by the Maniacs out of Bronx High School.
2030 Stats: .275 41 HR 111 RBI (SA, North Bay)
GM Comments: Ruse really came into his own last season after struggling in his pro debut in 2029. He showed tons of power belting a team record 41 HR in 385 at bats in short season A ball last year. He took home the United League Batter of the Year Award and was also named the United League Gold Glove winner in right field. Ruse has all of the defensive tools to be a starting outfielder at the MLB level with good range and a great arm. Offensively he could be a force but is a bit of a free swinger and tends to strike out quite a bit. The Maniacs will be monitoring him closely as he will get his first chance at a full season league starting the 2031 season in Kelowna.


#5 SP Alex "Dir" Castillo
Age: 21 Throws: RHP Velocity: 97-99 MPH Height: 6'6" Weight: 220 Lbs
Acquired: 1st round pick 14th overall in 2029 out of Mountainview High School by the New Orleans Pelicans. Traded to Toronto in 2029.
2030 Stats: 11-7 4.29 ERA 93 BB 108 K 1.43 WHIP (SA, North Bay)
GM Comments: Castillo was acquired in a offseason deal from New Orleans in 2029, he is big hard throwing righty who features four pitches, three of which grade out as plus (sinking fastball, slider and forkball) and he is working on a change up but it is a way below average pitch at this point. He scouts as a middle of the rotation work horse who should be able to give the team some solid innings every year. The only concern GM Ryan Stewart has about him right now has been his control. He has almost as many walks as strikeouts and they would really like him to work on locating his pitches better.


#6 LF Eric Garrett
Age: 23 Bats: LHB Height: 6'2" Weight: 185 Lbs
Acquired: 5th round pick 82th overall in 2030 by the Maniacs out of Baylor University.
2030 Stats: .305 26 HR 70 RBI (SA, North Bay)
GM Comments: Garrett isn't likely going to be a star at the MLB level. He can play all 3 outfield positions and is very good defensively. Offensively he can struggle at times to make contact and is a bit of a free swinger. He struck out 80 times in 311 at bats last season against 67 walks. He has tremendous power and the Maniacs believe he will make a very potent offensive weapon off the bench at the next level.


Honorable mention: CL Adrian Sheehan a 23 year old is expected to be the Maniacs closer of the future. He has 3 good pitches and the command and control to be a stopper at the MLB level. SP John Jackson scouts as a middle of the rotation arm with 4 decent pitches. A talent boost here could propel him into the conversation as an elite pitching prospect.


Up Next: 2031 First Year Player Draft Preview

[ryan008]

2031 FCB First Year Player Draft

The regular season is just around the corner and the FCB First Year Player Draft was held today. The Phoenix Firebirds hold the 1st overall selection followed by the Las Vegas Black Jacks and Toronto Maniacs. The Edmonton Trappers and the Louisville thoroughbreds will round out the top 5 selections.


With the #1 selection in the draft this year Phoenix selected 19 year old CF Frank Meadows out of Carson City High School. Meadows is easily the best offensive talent in the draft. He is a 5 tool prospect who can hit for average and power. He has great range in the outfield and has a ton of speed on the basepaths. He hit .351 with 20 HR and 47 RBI in his senior season and was the 2030 High School Outstanding Hitter. A 4 time High School All Star he should be patrolling the outfield in Phoenix shortly.


The second overall pick went to Las Vegas and they used it to select SP Brad 'Knuckles' Boswell. Boswell is a 22 year old righty who pitched for UC Irvine and was 6-3 with a 1.55 ERA in 13 games for the Anteaters in 2030. He features a 95-97 MPH fastball and three other very good pitches (sinking fastball, curveball and changeup). He has a tremendous work ethic and is a very smart ball player. The one knock against him is his stamina (3 out of 10), and some scouts question if he can pitch deep into games and that he might be better suited as a reliever.


Toronto Maniacs Picks

1st Round - 3rd Overall

With the 3rd overall selection the Maniacs selected SP Jeff 'Fly by Night' Michael. A 19 year old lefty who was 8-0 with a 1.72 ERA with 15 BB and 124 K and 0.66 WHIP for Carson City High School in 2031. He is an imposing figure on the mound standing 6'8" and weighing in at 225 lbs. He throws a 94-96 MPH fastball along with a changeup, splitter and forkball. He scouts as a top of the rotation arm but at just 19 years old will take a few seasons before he is ready to join the FCB. The Maniacs will move him along slowly, having him start his career in Corner Brook their Rookie League Team and the may limit his innings as he has already pitched 89 in 2031.


2nd Round - 24th Overall

With their second round pick 24th overall the Maniacs selected 22 year old LF Will Curry out of the University of Illinois. Curry had a great season for the Fighting Illinois in 2031 hitting .327 with 8 HR and driving in 30 runs before a strained hamstring shut him down for the last 6 weeks of his season. Curry has everything that you want offensively, he can hit for average and a little power and has a patient approach at the plate. He is above average defensively but his arm is just about FCB average. On the basepaths he has good instincts and could steal between 20-25 bases at the top level. His biggest negative is the fact that he doesn't have the best work ethic and he may not be able to make the most out of all his tools.


3rd Round - 44th Overall

In the 3rd round the Maniacs stuck to the Collage route selecting a name that should be familiar to most Toronto sports fans. The Maniacs selected 22 year old grandson of former Toronto Blue Jay SP Jimmy Key, taking SP Jimmy Key III out of Clemson University in the NCAA. Key III, unlike his grandfather is a righty who stands 6'0" tall and weighs in at 205 lbs. He features a 92-94 MPH fastball as well as a curveball and changeup. He was 6-4 with a 1.58 ERA with 23 BB and 99 K for a 0.87 WHIP in his final season with the Tigers. He scouts as a mid rotation workhorse, someone who can toss 200 innings a season and give you a chance to win every time he takes the ball. He lacks the elite stuff of some of the top tier pitching prospects in the draft but he has good control and he knows how to pitch. He is fairly well developed already and GM Ryan Stewart has decided to challenge him by assigning him to A Kelowna.


4th Round Pick - 64th Overall

In the 4th round the Maniacs took another pitcher in SP Philip Jones a 19 year old righty out of Cambridge High School. He was just 3-6 with a 3.16 ERA with 15 BB and 108 strikeouts and a 0.93 WHIP in his final high school season. He features a 94-96 MPH fastball as well as a slider, changeup and forkball. At 6'5" 250 pounds the Maniacs think he still has some room to add strength and could add a few more MPH on to his fastball. He scouts as a back end of the rotation starter and he was assigned to Rookie League Corner Brook to start his pro career.


5th Round Pick - 84th Overall

With the 84th pick in the draft the Maniacs selected high school CF William Campbell out of Fremont High School. The 19 year old hit .249 with 5 HR and 49 RBI in 50 games in 2031 before suffering a season ending quadriceps strain that caused him to miss the last 6 weeks of the season. HE probably isn't going to be a star at the MLB level but he projects as a 4th outfielder at a minimum. He isn't the greatest defensively grading out at just average in centerfield, but he has great speed and a very strong and accurate arm. He still has 3 weeks left on his recovery and was assigned to Corner Brook at the rookie league level.


Up next: The Maniacs announce their 25 man roster and the 2031 season begins

[BautistaBomb19]

I really like the way you put this together, flowed very nicely, look forward to reading more

[ryan008]

Opening Day is Here - Maniacs Announce 25 Man Roster


Monday April 7th, 2031

The 2031 regular season is about to kick off and the Toronto Maniacs have just announced the 25 man roster that will travel to Boston to open the season. There weren't any major surprises with the Maniacs this spring as the team came through injury free. Lets have a closer look at who made the roster:


Pitching Staff



GM Ryan Stewart elected to go with veteran Anibal Rodriguez as the teams #1 starter and he will get the ball to open the season in Boston against the Shamrocks. Rodriguez will be followed by promising young lefty SP Juan Pina, the 23 year old will make his season debut in game #2 and it will be only his 28th career start at the MLB level. The #3 spot in the rotation will fall on the shoulder of SP Ed Olson he struggled to an 8-15 mark last season and the Maniacs are hoping that he can turn his fortunes around in 2031. Rounding out the Maniacs rotation are Rule V draftee SP Matt Parke and free agent acquisition SP Julio Sanchez, both players are durable innings eaters and GM Ryan Stewart is hoping they can take the ball every 5 days and throw strikes.


The Maniacs are going with a 7 man bullpen to start the season. CL Norberto Valentin will reprise his roll as closer and will look to build upon a 32 save performance a season ago. Veteran MR Mason Hodge and MR Nate Edgar will man the 7th and 8th innings and provide a shut down tandem in front of Valentin. MR Palmer Savage, MR Vincent Penn and MR Michael Quigley will fill the middle relief role and finally MR Stanley Matthews is going to be the lefty specialist/long reliever should a starter fail to make it deep into a ball game.


The Offence



Offensively, there really weren't many surprises either. Perhaps the biggest was the demotion of 3B Daniel O'Neil to AAA Milton. GM Ryan Stewart elected to carry SS Nicholas Sanchez in a utility role and allow the 24 year old O'Neil to get full time at bats in AAA. The offence is relatively young, with the exception of veterans LF Denver Smart, 3B Hector Patino and RF Francisco Ramirez. Many of these kids are playing in only their second professional season and GM Ryan Stewart is excited to see how they develop this season.


Up Next: Opening Day we visit the Boston Shamrocks to kick off the 2031 season

[ryan008]

Opening Day Sim! Maniacs go 3-2 to Start the Season

Sim 1: April 14th, 2031 to April 21st 2031

The Maniacs opened up their 2031 regular season on the road in Boston to take on the Shamrocks. The Maniacs took the first game of the series spoiling the Shamrocks opening day festivities, but Boston would come back and take games 2 and 3 and would hand the Maniacs their first series loss of the season. After an off day on April 17th, the Maniacs returned home and would welcome the Phoenix Firebirds to Toronto for their home opener and the Maniacs would send their fans home happy taking the first 2 games of the series.

4/14: Toronto Maniacs @ Boston Shamrock - Win, 7-3.

W: Á. Rodríguez (1-0) L: C. García (0-1) . HR - BOS: J. Sánchez (1) Summary: SP Anibal Rodriguez got the start in game #1 of the season and did not disappoint going 7.1 innings allowing just 3 runs on 5 hits with a walk and 6 K's to earn his first victory of the season. LF Juan Diaz was the star offensively going 4/5 with a walk and adding a pair of RBI's. CF Larry Navarro and LF Denver Smart also added a pair of RBI's and C Jesus Ruiz chipped in with an RBI to cap off the Maniacs scoring.

4/15: Toronto Maniacs @ Boston Shamrock - Loss, 2-3.

W: S. Cobb (1-0) L: J. Piña (0-1) . HR - BOS: J. Sánchez (2) Summary: Boston jumped on SP Juan Pina early scoring all 3 of their runs in the bottom of the first inning. 1B Jose Sanchez belted a 2 run 2 out homerun, his second in as many days DH Henry Holden added an RBI double to cap off the scoring for Boston. Pina would settle down and toss 8 innings allowing 3 runs on 7 hits waking 1 and striking out 4. The Maniacs offence couldn't do much against SP Shane Cobb as he was dynamite tossing a complete game allowing just 2 runs on 8 hits with a walk and 9 strikeouts. 2B Jose Nieto and C Jesus Ruiz would drive in the only runs for the Maniacs as they fell in game #2 by a score of 3-2.

4/16: Toronto Maniacs @ Boston Shamrock - Loss, 3-5.

W: G. Velásquez (1-0) L: E. Olson (0-1) S: A. Lloyd (1). HR - None Summary: SP Ed Olson took the hill in game #3 and was attempting to give the Maniacs their first series win of the young season. He pitched well going 6.1 innings allowing 3 runs on 9 hits with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts but would be tagged with the loss as the Maniacs couldn't muster much offensively. SP Gustavo Velasquez took the hill for the Shamrocks and he held the Maniacs batters to just 3 runs on 5 hits with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts in 8 innings of work. CL Alex Lloyd came on and worked a scoreless 9th inning and got his first save of the season.

4/18: Phoenix Firebirds @ Toronto Maniacs - Win, 0-2.

W: M. Parke (1-0) L: C. Lawrence (0-1) S: N. Valentín (1). HR - TOR: H. Patino (1) Summary: The Maniacs returned home after an off day and took on the Phoenix Firebirds in their home opener. Rule V pickup SP Matt Parke got the start for the Maniacs and he was brilliant tossing 8.1 innings of 2 hit ball walking 1 and striking out 7 to earn the victory. CL Norberto Valentin struck out both batters he faced in the 9th and earned his first victory of the season. Offensively 3B Hector Patino belted his 1st homerun of the season in the 4th inning off of Phoenix SP Colt Lawrence and RF Francisco Ramirez would add an RBI single in the 5th giving the Maniacs all the offence they would need.

4/19: Phoenix Firebirds @ Toronto Maniacs - Win, 1-6.

W: J. Sánchez (1-0) L: C. Thomas (0-1) . HR - PHX: F. Martínez (1) TOR: J. Nieto (1) Summary: Game #2 against Phoenix saw free agent acquisition SP Julio Sanchez get his first start in a Maniacs uniform and he didn't disappoint scattering 5 hits in 8.2 innings of work allowing just a single earned run with 2 walks and 15 strikeouts to earn his first win with Toronto. Sanchez would allow a first inning solo homerun to RF Felipe Martinez and would settle down after that and only allowed 4 hits through the next 7 innings. Offensively 2B Jose Nieto got his first homerun of the season and would drive in 3 runs, DH Juan Diaz continued his hot start with a 2 run double and CF Larry Navarro added an RBI singe and was 3-5. Here are your top three performers for the simulation: Jose Nieto : 18 AB, 6 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .333 AVG, 1.000 OPS Juan Díaz : 19 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 4 RBI, .368 AVG, .789 OPS Jesus Ruíz : 17 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .412 AVG, .856 OPS

Up Next: The Maniacs have an off day on Sunday and will welcome the New York Americans for 3 games, then will travel to Winnipeg for a 3 game set and then will start a 3 game set against New Orleans.

[ryan008]

Sm #2 - Maniacs go 0-7

Sim 2: April 21st, 2031 to April 28th 2031

Well that was ugly! The Maniacs were dreadful during the last week losing all seven games and promptly plummeted into 4th place in the FCB Eastern Division. Only the Louisville Thoroughbreds (2-10) have a worse record than the Maniacs at 3-9. The Maniacs trail the division leading Chicago Southpaws (9-3) by 6 games.


The two hottest teams in the league are based in the FCB Atlantic Division with the Washington DC Freedom and the Halifax Mooseheads off to fantastic starts at 11-2. Bringing up the rear are the Los Angeles Heros (2-1), Louisville Thorobreds (2-10), Vancouver Mounties (2-9) and Toronto Maniacs (3-9). So as it stands right now the Maniacs find themselves with the 4th worst record in the entire FCB.


GM Ryan Stewart is not too concerned just yet "It is still very early and we are not hitting the panic button just yet. This team is still very much a work in progress and is filled with young players that need some time to get their legs underneath them at the major league level"

4/21: Toronto Maniacs @ New York Americans - Loss, 8-9.

W: F. García (1-1) L: N. Valentín (0-1) . HR - TOR: D. Smart (1) NY: P. Léger (1)

4/22: Toronto Maniacs @ New York Americans - Loss, 0-4.

W: K. Taylor (1-0) L: J. Piña (0-2) . HR - NY: B. Hussey (1)

4/23: Toronto Maniacs @ New York Americans - Loss, 5-6.

W: Y. Kato (1-0) L: M. Hodge (0-1) S: J. Thurman (1). HR - TOR: J. Díaz (1), H. Patino (2) NY: J. Smith 2 (3), L. Alfonzo (1)

4/24: Toronto Maniacs @ Winnipeg Aeros - Loss, 6-7.

W: W. Chandler (1-0) L: N. Valentín (0-2) . HR - TOR: J. Nieto (2), F. Ramírez (1) WIN: T. Bentley (3), J. Santos (2), P. Cros (3)

4/25: Toronto Maniacs @ Winnipeg Aeros - Loss, 2-5.

W: A. Gómez (1-1) L: N. Valentín (0-3) . HR - WIN: T. Bentley (4), P. Cros (4)

4/26: Toronto Maniacs @ Winnipeg Aeros - Loss, 2-9.

W: U. Gagnon (1-0) L: Á. Rodríguez (1-1) . HR - TOR: E. Martin (1)

4/27: Toronto Maniacs @ New Orleans Pelicans - Loss, 5-6.

W: R. Burns (1-0) L: N. Valentín (0-4) . HR - NO: C. Hale (3)

Here are your top three performers for the simulation:
Jose Nieto : 24 AB, 9 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .375 AVG, 1.017 OPS
Denver Smart : 22 AB, 8 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .364 AVG, 1.108 OPS
Juan Díaz : 27 AB, 7 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .259 AVG, .792 OPS


Up Next: The maniacs close out April with 3 games left at New Orleans before heading home to welcome Edmonton for a 3 game set and then will open up a 4 game series against Vancouver in Vancouver.

[ryan008]

Sm #3 - Maniacs go 2-5

Sim 3: April 28th, 2031 to May 5th 2031

Well the end of April really couldn't come fast enough as the Maniacs wrapped up the last sim of the month with a 2-5 record and are now a whopping 2-12 in their last 14 games. Toronto currently finds itself sitting in dead last in the FCB Eastern Division trailing division leading Buffalo (12-7) by 7 games.

A closer look at the Maniacs statistics reveals that they might be a little better than their record indicates. They are sitting in the middle of the pack in most offensive and pitching categories, and yet they are in the bottom three of the league in the standings.


Maniacs April Stats:

75 Runs Scored (14th)
.240 Batting Average (15th)
.313 On Base % (12th)
13 Homeruns (19th)
4 Stolen Bases (t-18th)
90 Runs Against (14th)
4.57 Starters ERA (12th)
4.01 Bullpen ERA (9th)
.674 Defensive Eff. (19th)


A closer look at those number and two jump out at GM Ryan Stewart "I really thought we would hit for a much better batting average than just .240. We have a number of hitters who should be able to hit close to .300. This team was built around putting the ball in play and they just aren't doing it right now. Also the bullpen has not been nearly as good as I thought it would be. It has gone from being one of the best in the league to just average so far this season. The only good news is its still very early, and hopefully as the weather begins to warm up outside so do the Maniacs"


Sim Results: April 28th - May 5th

4/28: Toronto Maniacs @ New Orleans Pelicans - Loss, 2-3.

W: R. Burns (2-0) L: N. Edgar (0-1) . HR - TOR: L. Navarro (1)

4/29: Toronto Maniacs @ New Orleans Pelicans - Loss, 3-8.

W: J. Herrera (2-0) L: M. Parke (1-1) . HR - TOR: L. Navarro (2), H. Patino (3)

4/30: Toronto Maniacs @ New Orleans Pelicans - Win, 9-3.

W: J. Sánchez (2-0) L: A. Gearhart (2-2) . HR - TOR: F. Ramírez (2) NO: S. Martin (1)

5/1: Edmonton Trappers @ Toronto Maniacs - Loss, 7-1.

W: J. González (3-1) L: Á. Rodríguez (1-2) . HR - None

5/2: Edmonton Trappers @ Toronto Maniacs - Win, 1-4.

W: J. Piña (1-2) L: G. Holliday (1-2) . HR - TOR: J. Nieto (3)

5/3: Edmonton Trappers @ Toronto Maniacs - Loss, 4-3.

W: C. Orr (1-1) L: P. Savage (0-1) . HR - EDM: C. Meyer (2)

5/4: Toronto Maniacs @ Vancouver Mounties - Loss, 5-6.

W: L. Reese (3-0) L: M. Parke (1-2) S: T. Kitakawa (4). HR - VAN: B. Coffey (4), M. Brown (2)

Top Performers:


Jose Nieto : 29 AB, 11 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .379 AVG, .972 OPS
Larry Navarro : 33 AB, 9 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .273 AVG, .818 OPS
Eric Martin : 34 AB, 9 H, 0 HR, 2 RBI, .265 AVG, .688 OPS


Toronto Minor League Report

AAA Milton Maples (13-15 4th in Canadian Division, 5 Back of Ottawa)


Pitching

The Maples ace is the Maniacs top prospect SP Joe Payne and he is off to a great start in AAA this season going 3-2 with a 3.40 ERA walking 16 and striking out 51. The 24 year old is close to MLB ready now and if the pitchers at the MLB level continue to struggle Payne should get the call soon.


Honorable mention:


SP Bernie Hooper - 2-1 3.49 ERA
MR Ricardo Roman - 1-0 2.25 ERA


Batters

Offensively the most impressive hitter has been 23 year old LF Ernest McGuire who is hitting .384 with 1 HR and 13 RBI to start the season. The young switch hitter plays tremendous defence and seems to have figured something out at AAA this season. He could play himself into a call up at some point this season.


Honorable mention:


SS Daniel O'Neil - .274 4 HR 16 RBI
2B Francisco Perez - .330 3 HR 16 RBI
2B Michael McConnell - .308 3 HR 14 RBI


AA Medicine Hat Titans (11-17 4th in the Canadian Division, 5 Back of Prince Albert)


Pitchers

AA Medicine Hat is easily the weakest team in the Maniacs system and they don't really have any of the teams top prospects. The teams best pitcher is SP Mike Linfoot and he is 4-1 with a 4.38 ERA so far this season. Beyond Linfoot the Titans pitchers are mostly a collection of organizational filler.


Honorable mention:


CL Jose Hernandez - 0-2 7 SV 1.42 ERA
MR Miguel Hernandez - 1-0 1.50 ERA


Batters

Offensively 1B Eiji Onishi is the best hitter currently at AA but he is on the disabled list for the next 6-8 weeks with a strained anterior cruciate ligament. He was hitting .374 with 9 HR and 42 RBI and was tearing the cover off the ball at the time of his injury.


Honorable mention


2B William Jones - .311 7 HR 23 RBI
SS Marvin Wells - .272 2 HR 11 RBI


A Kelowna Fury (21-7 1st Place in the Canadian Division, 2 Games up on Prince George)


Pitching

Kelowna has the teams most exciting collection of prospects and they are playing very well right now. The teams top 4 starters have all been very good and this includes SP Jimmy Key III who was just drafted in the 3rd round this year. The news isn't all good though as the tems closer CL Adrian Sheehan is out for the next 2-3 months with a strained fore arm and SP Ivan Oliva is out for the next 8 weeks with a partially torn labrum.


Honorable mention


SP Carlos Padilla - 3-0 1.55 ERA
SP Alex Castillo - 4-1 3.34 ERA
SP Jimmy Key III - 4-0 1.71 ERA
MR Jim McCormick - 2-1 2 SV 2.18 ERA


Batters

The best player on the Kelowna roster is RF Stanford Rafuse and he was off to a torrid start hitting .442 with 7 HR and 17 RBI in just 13 games before he suffered a strained back and has been on the shelf for the past 3 weeks. He should be back in mid May and if he continues this pace he won't be in A ball much longer


Honorable Mention


LF Eric Garrett - .274 8 HR 26 RBI
3B Sean Green - .309 5 HR 24 RBI
CF Clint Gill - .325 1 HR 13 RBI


S.A. North Bay Wet Sox (14-14 2nd in the Canadian Division, 7 Back of Quebec)


Pitchers

The wet Sox pitchers have been very good so far this year ranking in the top 5 of starters and bullpen ERA and runs allowed. SP Francois Beau has been the best of the bunch going 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA so far this season.


honorable mention:


SP Matt Pennington - 2-1 3.72 ERA
MR Wesley Williamson -0-0 1 SV 0.00 ERA


Batters

Offensively the team has struggled to score runs and that's why they find themselves sitting at .500. CF Tim St.John has been the teams best hitter hitting .368 with 2 HR and 16 RBI but after him no one is really off to that great of a start.


Honorable mention


No one really.


Rookie League Corner Brook Dukes (18-10 1st in the Canadian Division, 1 game up on St. Johns)


Pitching

The Maniacs top pick in this years draft SP Jeff Micheal is the teams #1 starter and he is struggling a bit in his first taste of pro ball. He is just 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA and has walked 7 to just 8 strikeouts so far. At just 19 years old the big lefty is still very raw and this is not unexpected from a young pitcher.


Honorable mention


SP Philip Jones - 2-0 3.75 ERA
MR Raul Portas - 3-0 1 SV 1.11 ERA


Batters

Offensively another of the Maniacs top prospects in CF Manuel Hinestroza was off to a hot start (.414 0 Hr 4 RBI) before he suffered a strained quad and missed 4 weeks. He is back to 100% health and the 20 year old should be moved up to North Bay before seasons end. LF Will Curry who was a 2nd round pick of the Maniacs in this years draft is finally 100% recovered form a strained hamstring that he suffered in his last season at the University of Illinois and made his Maniacs debut hitting .300 with 2 RBI in his first 3 games.


Honorable mention


SS Jose Garcia - .293 1 HR 17 RBI
Anibal Avila - .292 4 HR 15 RBI

[ryan008]

Sm #4 - Maniacs Continue to Play Under .500 Ball

Sim 4: May 5th to May 12th 2031

April was brutal to the Maniacs and May has not been much kinder so far. The team is just not playing very well and they continue to sink further and further back in the division. After a 2-4 sim the Maniacs record stands at 7-18 and they are firmly planted in last place in the FCB Eastern Division trailing by Buffalo by 7 games. There was more bad news for the Maniacs this sim as they learned that veteran reliever MR Nate Edgar will miss the remainder of the 2031 season after suffering a torn back muscle. The 31 year old was 0-1 with a 7.11 ERA for the Maniacs this season and was placed on the 60 day disabled list. The Maniacs recalled MR Ricardo Roman (1-0 1.84 ERA 3 BB 18 K in 14.2 IP) from AAA Milton to take his spot in the bullpen.


Sim #4 Results

5/5: Toronto Maniacs @ Vancouver Mounties - Loss, 4-7.

W: W. Malone (1-2) L: J. Sánchez (2-1) S: T. Yorke (1). HR - None

5/6: Toronto Maniacs @ Vancouver Mounties - Loss, 1-2.

W: D. Lesage (1-0) L: Á. Rodríguez (1-3) S: T. Kitakawa (5). HR - TOR: D. Gorman (1)

5/7: Toronto Maniacs @ Vancouver Mounties - Loss, 3-4.

W: D. Ruggles (1-0) L: J. Piña (1-3) S: T. Kitakawa (6). HR - TOR: L. Navarro (3) VAN: M. Piranda (4)

5/9: Toronto Maniacs @ Las Vegas Black Jacks - Win, 6-0.

W: E. Olson (1-1) L: J. Weeks (1-4) . HR - TOR: E. Martin (2)

5/10: Toronto Maniacs @ Las Vegas Black Jacks - Win, 5-4.

W: P. Savage (1-1) L: G. Head (0-1) . HR - TOR: E. Martin (3) LV: A. Martínez (4), H. Murphy Jr (3), B. Lucas (6)

5/11: Toronto Maniacs @ Las Vegas Black Jacks - Loss, 2-8.

W: S. Noel (2-2) L: J. Sánchez (2-2) . HR - TOR: F. Ramírez (3) LV: A. Martínez (5), F. Lemaire (1), B. Lucas (7)

Your team currently has a record of 7-18 (.280 PCT), trailing the division leader by 7 game(s).

Here are your top three performers for the simulation:
Eric Martin : 26 AB, 12 H, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .462 AVG, 1.418 OPS
Ed Olson : 1 Win, 9.0 IP, 1 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA
Palmer Savage : 1 Win, 4.2 IP, 2 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA


Waiver Claim

GM Ryan Stewart also announced that the Maniacs have claimed C Wilfred Rhodes off of waivers from the New York Americans. The 32 year old Rhodes is hitting .220 with 10 HR and 41 RBI for the Americans in 2031. He was brought in because the teams starting C Jesus Ruiz is off to a slow start hitting just .231 with 0 HR and 12 RBI. To make room for him on the roster the Maniacs optioned C Bobby Price (.154 0 HR 0 RBI) to AAA Milton. Rhodes is in the last year of his contract and earns $1,220,000 this season.


Minor League Update

Nothing major is going on down on the farm but the Maniacs did have some bad news come out of AA Medicine Hat. RF Norberto Flores suffered a torn labrum and has been forced to retire. Flores was a 10th round pick of the Maniacs in 2025 out of the University of North Carolina and has spent his entire career in the Maniacs organization.

[ryan008]

Sm #6 - Maniacs Showing Some Signs of Life - Go 3-4


Sim 6: May 12th to May 19th 2031



The Maniacs had a decent sim this time around managing to win 3 of their 7 games. The opened the sim losing to Vancouver, and then dropped 2 of 3 against Chicago. They would lose the opening game of a 3 game set against Denver before taking the last 2 and winning a series for just the second time this season. They then dropped the opener of a 4 game set against Louisville to end the sim. The 3-4 sim pushes the teams overall record to 10-22 and the Maniacs still occupy the basement in the FCB Eastern Division trailing Montreal by 9 games. In the overall standings Toronto is tied for dead last in the FCB with the Las Vegas Black Jacks.


GM Ryan Stewart "Well it is starting to look like we are going to be out of the playoff picture already and that is sad to say considering the season isn't even two months old. We new that we still had a long way to go before contending but I didn't think we would get off to such a bad start"
The Trade Deadline is just 10 weeks off and the way the Maniacs are playing they look like they will be definite sellers once the end of July rolls around.

Sim #6 Results

5/12: Toronto Maniacs @ Chicago Southpaws - Loss, 1-7.

W: M. Schneider (1-0) L: Á. Rodríguez (1-4) S: L. Nelson (1). HR - CHI: A. Stead (2), S. Pérez (5)

5/13: Toronto Maniacs @ Chicago Southpaws - Win, 5-2.

W: J. Piña (2-3) L: A. Morton (2-2) . HR - TOR: H. Patino (4)

5/14: Toronto Maniacs @ Chicago Southpaws - Loss, 4-7.

W: R. Mendoza (3-2) L: E. Olson (1-2) S: B. Strong (7). HR - TOR: H. Patino (5) CHI: S. Pérez (6)

5/15: Denver Highlanders @ Toronto Maniacs - Loss, 5-2.

W: J. Gordon (1-1) L: M. Parke (1-3) S: M. Merlin (6). HR - DEN: L. Pepin (4), T. Hernández (10)

5/16: Denver Highlanders @ Toronto Maniacs - Win, 6-8.

W: P. Savage (2-1) L: J. Strauss (3-2) S: N. Valentín (2). HR - DEN: G. Vallejo (7)

5/17: Denver Highlanders @ Toronto Maniacs - Win, 2-4.

W: Á. Rodríguez (2-4) L: M. Gibbons (3-2) S: N. Valentín (3). HR - TOR: J. Nieto (4)

5/18: Louisville Thoroughbreds @ Toronto Maniacs - Loss, 7-5.

W: B. Reed (1-0) L: J. Piña (2-4) S: D. Girardin (3). HR - LOU: J. Aylward (13)

Here are your top three performers for the simulation:

Dalton Gorman : 22 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .545 AVG, 1.145 OPS
Juan Díaz : 27 AB, 11 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .407 AVG, .967 OPS
Curt Harvey : 31 AB, 10 H, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .323 AVG, .676 OPS



Injury Update

The Blue Jays have activated SP Jun Hayashi from the 60 day disabled list and sent him on a rehab assignment. The 26 year old righty suffered a torn flexor tendon in may of 2030 and has not thrown a pitch since. He was assigned to AAA Milton and should get at least 4 or 5 rehab starts in before he rejoins the Maniacs.


Minor League Update

2031 3rd round pick SP Jimmy Key III has been promoted to AA Medicine Hat. The 22 year old righty was dominant in 7 starts for Kelowna posting a 7-0 record with a 1.84 ERA walking just 7 and striking out 45 for an impressive 0.86 ERA.


SP Alex Castillo is going to miss the next 3 months as he recovers from a partially torn labrum. The 21 year old righty is one of the Maniacs top prospects and was 5-1 with a 3.74 ERA in Kelowna this season. He was placed on the disabled list and should be able to return for the end of the 2031 season.