The San Diego Padres - 2025 and Beyond

[Sundance]

With the 26th pick in the 2031 draft, the San Diego Padres select RHP Hal Lehman!

We had the last pick of the 1st round, and the pool was a little thin at that point. There really wasn’t a standout starter or position player on the board, so we went with a projected reliever. His mental makeup is great, which is something we always look for. Potential for fantastic stuff, average movement, and good control. He has good velocity, and 2 good pitches. He also has good stamina, but he lacks a decent 3rd pitch, which will keep him out of the starting rotation.

Our 2nd round pick, SS Juan Romero, broke off negotiations. The overall #1 pick went to Miami, who selected SS Marc Walker.

[Sundance]

6/2/2031

Cardinals’ ace Eric Poe has agreed to a 2 year, $29 million extension with the club. Poe was originally drafted in the 19th round of the 2020 draft by the Cardinals. Since entering the league in 2023, he has maintained a spot among the elite starters of the league. In 10 starts this season he is 5-2 with a 2.19 ERA, 78 K, and has held opponents to a .205 BA.

6/3/2031

Padres center fielder Hector Salas has been sidelined with a strained oblique. The 29 year old said he felt something tweak during his swing and will miss the next 5 weeks as a result. Salas was brought to San Diego this offseason to help strengthen their lineup, but he has struggled thus far - .202/.251/.327, -0.6 WAR. A stint on the DL may not be the worst thing, as it may give Salas time to refocus and smooth out his swing mechanics.

6/4/2031

Detroit’s Tim Elmore will find himself on the DL for the next 5 weeks. Elmore failed to connect with a pitch that was up and in – check that – he failed to get his bat on the ball. He did make contact with the pitch, only it was with his thumb. The attempted swing resulted in a fractured thumb for Elmore.

6/9/2031

San Diego’s Jose Rodriguez has been named the NL Player of the Week! The 30 year old catcher terrorized opposing pitchers to the tune of a .533 BA, 2 HR, 6 RBI, and 8 R.

6/29/2031

CF Tim Elmore of the Tigers has suffered a setback in his recovery from a fractured thumb. Reports are coming in that Elmore will be visiting with a specialist tomorrow morning. We have also learned from team officials that he will be expected to miss an additional 2 weeks as he continues to heal.

Monthly Review

June was another good month for the Padres. We went 16-11, which brings our overall record to 46-29. Despite our winning ways, we have been unable to shake off our competition. The Diamondbacks have dropped to 6 games back, but the Giants have pulled up right alongside us. We own the tie breaker for now, but we have a big 3 game series coming up against them this weekend.

Overall, the team has continued to perform well. Our offense ranks 3rd in BA and OPS, 7th in runs, and 1st in SB. Our pitching staff has lost a little bit of pace, but they certainly aren’t bad – 2nd in ERA, 4th in BAA, 1st in (fewest) BB, and 8th in K.

Hot

C Jose Rodriguez - .329/.485/.582
SS Jean-Philippe Gras - .433/.433/.483
LF Jorge Alvarado - .342/.364/.526
SP Nacho Castillo – 3-1, 2.92 ERA, 24 K, 0.90 WHIP
SP Gustavo Spotelli – 3-1, 2.98 ERA, 43 K
MR Kevin Lee – 14 IP, 1.93 ERA

Not

SP Tadaaki Maeda – 2-1, 4.67 ERA, 19 K
MR Ivan Saldana – 3.2 IP, 9.82 ERA, .429 BABIP

Monthly Awards

AL:

Top Batter – Pat Joseph (.340 BA, 9 HR, 26 RBI, 30 R), Royals
Top Pitcher – Jorge Silva (5-0, 3.00 ERA, 38 K), Royals
Rookie – Jose Calderon (.327 BA, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 13 R), Blue Jays

NL:

Top Batter – Sancho Acevedo (.444 BA, 11 HR, 25 RBI, 23 R), Rockies
Top Pitcher – Clarence Fowler (4-1, 1.38 ERA, 29 K), Mets
Rookie – Jesus Ramos (4-0, 1.88 ERA, 14 K), DIamondbacks

[Sundance]

7/8/2031

Father Time may be catching up to Brendan Rodgers. The 34 year old infielder will be sidelined for the next 2 weeks with what is being described as a mild abdominal strain. This is coming on the heels of a report from a few days ago, in which Rodgers was listed as day to day with shoulder soreness. Rodgers is in his 15th season in the league, so achy and creaky joints, muscles, and bones aren’t out of the question. So far this season Rodgers is hitting .271/.351/.421, with 11 HR and 14 SB.

7/12/2031

35 year old lefty Alexander Figueredo of Baltimore tossed a no hitter today against Seattle. Figueredo is a 3-time Pitcher of the Year and 7-time All-Star, but his effort against the Mariners marks the first no-no of his illustrious career. He struck out 9 and walked 2 in the team’s 3-0 victory.

7/14/2031

Padres center fielder Hector Salas has been named the NL Player of the Week! Over the last 7 days he has hit .417 with 2 HR, 8 RBI, and 4 R. This week has been a rare highlight in what has been a disappointing season for the new Padre.

In league news, the All-Star rosters have been announced!

Representing the Padres will be SP Nacho Castillo (3rd selection), SP Tadaaki Maeda (1st), SP Gustavo Spotelli (2nd), C Jose Rodriguez (7th), and 1B Ruben Hinojosa (8th). The rest of the selections can be seen below.

7/18/2031

The White Sox’s Ted Rodriguez has hit for the cycle! The 35 year old outfielder tripled in the 4th, doubled in the 5th, singled in the 6th, and hit a 2 run bomb in the 7th. He added another single in the 9th, just for good measure, as his team went on to beat the Twins 14-6. Rodriguez is enjoying his best year since 2027, when he won the AL Batter of the Year Award. So far this season he is hitting .344 with 16 HR.

7/19/2031

The Padres have received some bad news concerning their face of the franchise. Brendan Rodgers has suffered a series of setbacks in his recovery over the last few days. The star infielder is now expected to miss an additional 2 weeks.

7/25/2031

The baseball world received some sad news today. One of the league’s biggest stars, Sergio Garcia, has suffered a career-ending injury. Garcia was involved in a collision at first base that resulted in a torn labrum. Garcia is a 5 time Batter of the Year, an 8 time All-Star, and a 4-time Gold Glove winner. At just 32 years old, he had plenty of baseball still left in him, and it is a shame to see his career cut so short. He ends his career with a line of .277/.403/.501, with 1707 hits, 351 HR, 1050 RBI, and 407 SB over 1710 games.

7/29/2031

Edouard Kieffer was taken out of today’s game after coming up short while running to second. The Padres right fielder limped his way to the base and immediately grabbed his hamstring upon getting there safely. The Padres feared the worst, but it appears that the early exit was more precautionary than anything else. Kieffer will be getting a little time off as he recovers from what is being labeled as hamstring soreness.

Monthly Review

July was the first month in which we’ve had a losing record (12-14), and the Giants capitalized on it. We’re now in 2nd place in the West with a record of 58-43, and are 2 games back of the Giants. Overall, the team’s numbers look good, but we just haven’t been able to get the results as of late. One point of concern is our inability to knock in runners in scoring position. We rank 2nd in BA and 3rd in OPS, but only 9th in runs. We’re definitely going to need to improve on that if we want to accomplish our goals for this season.

Hot

SS Alfredo Miranda - .300/.336/.445, 3 HR, 8 SB
RF Edouard Kieffer - .333/.387/.476
SP Nacho Castillo – 2-1, 1.80 ERA, 32 K
SP Tadaaki Maeda – 1-1, 2.86 ERA
SP Gustavo Spotelli – 4-1, 2.44 ERA, 48 K, 0.88 WHIP
MR Antonio Mendoza - 14.0 IP, 0.64 ERA, 23 K

Not

1B Ruben Hinojosa - .170/.304/.266
SS Jean-Philippe Gras - .203/.263/.297
SP Beau Burrows – 2-2, 4.70 ERA, 16 K
MR Dave Ling – 11.0 IP, 4.91 ERA, 5 K
MR Ivan Saldana – 4.2 IP, 11.57 ERA

Monthly Awards

AL:

Top Batter – David Vela (.372 BA, 12 HR, 30 RBI, 24 R), Falcons
Top Pitcher – Cristo Gonzales (4-0, 1.00 ERA, 36 K), Orioles
Rookie – Calvin Maltman (.314 BA, 8 HR, 17 RBI, 19 R), Rangers

NL:

Top Batter – Pepe Gomez (.347 BA, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 15 R), Diamondbacks
Top Pitcher – Nam-Sup Hong (18.2 IP, 0.96 ERA, 10 SV, 23 K), Reds
Rookie – Mario Cantu (.408 BA, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 14 R), Reds

[Sundance]

Here's a look at our team leaders at the All-Star break:

[Sundance]

8/2/2031

The Padres had a bit of a scare in today’s game. Following his push off from the rubber, starting pitcher Bryan Hoeing landed awkwardly on his front foot. Unbalanced, his leg gave out from under him and the pitcher took a tumble off the mound. Trainers immediately rushed onto the field to check on the 33 year old and discovered that more than just his pride was hurt. He limped off of the field under the assistance of the team’s staff, and reports are now coming in that he has suffered a strained calf muscle. Hoeing is expected to miss 3-4 weeks as he recovers.

8/3/2031

It’s a tough time to be a pitcher. Another star has fallen – this time it is Atlanta’s Ken Phipps. The 21 year old righty entered the season predicted to be one of the NL’s top pitchers, and he has not disappointed thus far. In 22 starts he is 10-5 with a 2.73 ERA and 156 K. Unfortunately for the Braves, that’s exactly where his stat line is going to end. Phipps will be missing the rest of the season as he undergoes and recovers from surgery to remove bone chips in his throwing elbow. He is expected to be out 4-5 months.

8/7/2031

San Diego pitcher Gustavo Spotelli was lights out today against the rival Dodgers. The 29 year old tossed a 3 hit shutout, striking out 9 and walking none. Spotelli has long been overshadowed by the rest of San Diego’s rotation, but is currently enjoying a breakout season this year. While always a solid performer, he seems to finally be reaching the potential that the San Diego front office has been waiting for. So far this season he is 11-6 with a 2.68 ERA and 170 K, and is holding opponents to a .213 BA.

8/10/2031

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before – San Diego center fielder Hector Salas is on his way to the DL. In an attempt to run down a fly ball in the gap, Salas came up short and hobbled his way a few feet before tumbling to the ground. He is expected to miss the next 3 months with what is being described as a strained hamstring. Salas was brought into San Diego to replace the oft-injured Orosco, and much to the dismay of GM Syrio Forel, the move seems to have backfired. Salas has spent just as much time, if not more, on the DL as Orosco averaged, and his performance on the field has been less than ideal. So far this season he is hitting just .221 with only 6 HR.

8/24/2031

Call 2031 the year of the torn labrum. The devastating injury has claimed yet another victim – this time, Giants reliever Akihiro Hayashi. Under the advice of both team and independent doctors, the 30 year old righty has announced his retirement.

8/28/2031

When it rains, it pours. As if the Padres didn’t have enough injury troubles this month, they have just received word that star shortstop Alfredo Miranda will be sidelined for the next 3-4 months. The 24 year old was taken out of today’s game following an attempt to throw out a runner from deep in the 5.5 hole. The resulting throw sailed towards the stands as Miranda immediately grabbed his shoulder in pain. While the diagnosis is not as bad as initially feared, it is still far from good. The official report is that Miranda is suffering from shoulder inflammation, and as mentioned above, will miss significant time as he heals. In 126 games this season, Miranda is hitting .280/.322/.453 with 22 HR and 30 SB. 22 year old Jean-Philipp Gras is expected to assume the role of shortstop and leadoff hitter.

8/30/2031

Former Padre and current Jacksonville Falcon Justin Bellinger has racked up hit #2000! Bellinger was selected by the Padres in 2014 as the #1 overall pick. He broke into the big league club in 2017 and enjoyed moderate success in San Diego through the 2023 season, when he left for free agency. The 36 year old is a career .263/.346/.423 hitter with 347 doubles, 280 HR, and 1031 RBIs to go along with his 2000 hits.

Monthly Review

We bounced back from a less than stellar July with our best month of the season yet! We went 18-10 for the month and reclaimed 1st place in the West in the process. Our overall record is now 77-53, and we have pulled 2 games ahead of the Giants. The biggest difference over last month is that we started knocking in those runners in scoring position – We now rank 6th in the NL in runs scored, up from 9th last month. Offensively, we rank 2nd in BA, 2nd in OPS, 1st in K, and 1st in SB. Our pitching staff remains unconventionally dominant, as we destroy opposing lineups with finesse, rather than power. The staff is ranked in the top 3 in every category except strikeouts, where we rank 9th. But we play incredibly solid defense (2nd in the NL), so the lack of punch outs isn’t a point of concern.

Hot

C Jose Rodriguez - .309/.377/.649, 7 HR, 9 doubles, 21 RBI
RF Edouard Kieffer - .344/.457/.625, 4 HR, 6 SB
SP Beau Burrows – 4-1, 2.15 ERA, 27 K
SP Tadaaki Maeda – 2-1, 2.73 ERA, 24 K
MR Juan Diaz – 9.1 IP, 1.93 ERA, 10 K, 0.75 WHIP
MR Antonio Mendoza – 29.2 IP, 2.43 ERA, 23 K
CL Jorge Fernandez – 8 SV, 2.70 ERA, 12 K, 0.75 WHIP

Not

SP Bryan Hoeing – 0-2, 4.19 ERA, 11 K
MR Kevin Lee – 17.2 IP, 4.58 ERA, 14 K

Monthly Awards

AL:

Top Batter – Jesus Garcia (.443 BA, 11 HR, 29 RBI, 19 R), Orioles
Top Pitcher – Winder Novas (6-0, 1.67 ERA, 33 K), Orioles
Rookie – Calvin Maltman (.333 BA, 9 HR, 26 RBI, 14 R), Rangers

NL:

Top Batter – Jesus Martinez (.319 BA, 13 HR, 39 RBI, 26 R), Rockies
Top Pitcher – Grason Coleman Wright (5-0, 1.80 ERA, 24 K), Giants
Rookie – Esteban Ramirez (.333 BA, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 14 R), Dodgers

[Sundance]

9/1/2031

It’s that time of the year again…September call-ups! Making their way to the big leagues will be:

2B Al Hughes
RF Jose Santos
2B Jim DeWitt
MR Willie Francis
MR Pat Arnold
MR Doug Funk
MR David Gonzalez
MR/CL Ivan Saldana

9/18/2031

Peoria hitting coach Cameron Conner has decided to leave the organization. The 43 year old was originally signed by the Padres in 2027 as their summer league hitting coach. He was promoted to Peoria in 2031. Conner is a great coach with a reputation for working well with players of all experience levels. No word yet on who will replace him.

9/19/2031

Eugene Emeralds players 2B Jed Sharpe and MR Matabei Shimizu have announced their retirements. Both players were picked up by the organization for depth, and neither managed to break into the big leagues.

9/21/2031

El Paso first baseman Todd Morgan has announced his retirement. Morgan was originally selected by the Padres in the 30th round of the 2017 draft. He spent the majority of his career in the minor leagues, but did spend parts of 5 seasons with the big league club. In what amounts to roughly one season of experience (161 MLB games), he hit .299/.372/.434 with a 1.9 WAR.

9/26/2031

Brendan Rodgers has managed to find himself on the DL once again this season. The face of the franchise was involved in a collision at first base that resulted in a strained oblique for the 34 year old. He is expected to miss the next 2-3 weeks.

In league news, T.J. Heath of the Rays collected hit #2000 today. He went 1-3 in his team’s 7-6 victory over the Orioles on his way to the achievement. For his career, the 32 year old has hit .318 with 218 doubles and 651 RBIs to go along with his 2000 hits.

9/27/2031

Dodgers owner Earvin Johnson has passed away. His son Mauro had accepted much of the day to day duties in recent years and is expected to take over the club. Mauro has a reputation for being a demanding and controlling executive.

9/28/2031

MR Zhang-Sung Hsiao, CF Victor Hernandez, C Mal Hickey, and MR Carel Malsert of the Lake Elsinore Storm have all announced their retirements. All 4 were career minor leaguers.

9/29/2031

Missions players 3B Matthew Payero and SP Sancho Alvarez have announced their retirements. Both were career minor leaguers. Missions manager Federico Hernandez also decided to leave the organization today. Hernandez was brought in to manage the club in 2027. He led the Missions to 2 playoff appearances during his tenure. No reports yet on who his replacement will be.

Monthly Review

Talk about backing your way into the playoffs. We finished September 10-17 – far and away our worst month of the season. We are currently 87-70 and have fallen 6.5 games behind the Giants. Overall, the team is still ranked highly statistically, so it’s a little perplexing to see us struggle so much to get results.

Hot

SS Jean-Philippe Gras - .307/.346/.387, 2 triples
2B Jim DeWitt - .302/.302/.472, 2 triples
LF Jorge Alvarado - .359/.367/.581, 6 HR
SP Gustavo Spotelli – 2-1, 2.75 ERA, 0.99 WHIP

Not

1B Ruben Hinojosa - .235/.336/.343
3B Victor Herrera - .232/.325/.354
SP Nacho Castillo – 0-2, 4.63 ERA, 1.49 WHIP
MR Juan Diaz – 20.1 IP, 4.43 ERA, 1.38 WHIP
MR Kevin Lee – 13.1 IP, 4.05 ERA, 1.43 WHIP
MR Antonio Mendoza – 7.1 IP, 11.05 ERA, 2.45 WHIP
MR Ivan Saldana – 3.1 IP, 21.60 ERA, 3.90 WHIP

Monthly Awards

AL:

Top Batter – Toshiharu Honma (.425 BA, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 18 R), A’s
Top Pitcher – Miguel Angel Galvan (4-0, 0.81 ERA, 32 K), Red Sox
Rookie – Jose Calderon (.354 BA, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 23 R), Blue Jays

NL:

Top Batter – Sancho Acevedo (.362 BA, 9 HR, 24 RBI, 18 R), Rockies
Top Pitcher – Riley Thompson (5-1, 1.76 ERA, 39 K), Diamondbacks
Rookie – Jesus Martinez (.333 BA, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 8 R), Pirates

[Sundance]

We managed to obtain a little bit of momentum heading into the playoffs by going 4-1 to close out the season. Still, it was too little, too late in regards to the division. The Giants claimed the top spot in the West, and extended their lead over us in the process. We finished in 2nd place, 7 games back, with an overall record of 91-71. The West was very competitive this year, with the Giants, Diamondbacks, and us making the playoffs.

The other playoff teams:

Atlanta Braves
The Braves ended the season tied for the best record in the NL at 98-64. They have the most productive offense in the NL, led by corner outfielders LF Juan Villalobos (.298/.397/.474, 21 HR, 85 RBI, 25 SB, 5.5 WAR) and RF Tony Melendez (.316/.412/.548, 32 HR, 97 RBI, 5.0 WAR). They also have a stingy pitching staff that’s ranked 3rd in runs allowed – even with the loss of upcoming star Ken Phipps. They should be a tough matchup for anyone.

Chicago Cubs
The Cubs might be the weakest NL team in the playoffs this year. They finished with a record of 87-75, but they only rank 10th in runs and 6th in runs allowed. Their offense is centered around catcher In-Chul Lee - .287/.367/.528, 37 HR, 82 RBI, 4.6 WAR. If they want to make a run in the playoffs, he is going to have to come up huge. They actually have a pretty decent staff, but they just can’t seem to stop opposing teams from scoring. It’s going to take a number of special performances if this team wants to go far.

San Francisco Giants
The Giants are probably the most well-rounded team in the NL. They finished tied for the best record in the NL at 98-64, and they rank 2nd in runs scored and 2nd in runs allowed. Their offense is led by the trio of 1B Ebbe Overgaag - .329/.423/.494, 35 doubles, 75 RBI, 22 SB, 7.2 WAR – RF Eric Crews - .322/.397/.382, 55 SB, 6.0 WAR – and 3-time Batter of the Year 3B Ivan Pena - .278/.368/.448, 25 HR, 96 RBI, 5.9 WAR. Their pitching staff features the tough duo of Joost Kalkman – 18-10, 3.40 ERA, 159 K, 5.1 WAR – and Grason Coleman Wright – 13-4, 2.25 ERA, 157 K, 4.3 WAR. I would say that they enter the postseason as the favorites to represent the NL in the World Series.

Arizona Diamondbacks
The 3rd team in the NL West to make the playoffs this year, the DBs finished the season with a record of 87-75. They have a good offense (Ranked 3rd in runs), but their pitching staff is a bit lacking for this time of the year (8th in runs allowed). Their offense revolves around star first baseman Pepe Gomez - .311/.359/.537, 46 doubles, 27 HR, 104 RBI, 4.6 WAR. Their success will rely on him maintaining his performance throughout October. On the other side of the field, they are led by ace Riley Thompson – 15-10, 3.27 ERA, 157 K, 5.6 WAR. However, if you can get past Thompson, there is a noticeable difference in quality in the rest of the rotation. If they can move past the WC round, expect Thompson to be pitching on short rest throughout their run.

Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore enters the playoffs as the best team in baseball, with a record of 99-63. They are good on both sides of the ball, with an offense that ranks 2nd in runs, and a pitching staff that ranks 4th in runs allowed. They bring some serious power to the plate, with 3 players having hit 30+ HR. The standout player in their offense is star shortstop Antonio Zavala - .309/.398/.550, 34 doubles, 35 HR, 115 RBI, 7.9 WAR. Their pitching staff is headed by one of the best in the league – Alexander Figueredo. Figueredo went 13-9 this season with a 2.64 ERA, 254 K, and 8.9 WAR.

Toronto Blue Jays
You had better be prepared for a shootout when you go up against Toronto. They finished the season 88-74, and they have the most productive offense in the AL, but one of the worst pitching staffs. It’s all about the offense here. Strangely enough, they don’t really have a standout star on offense. Rather, they offer a lineup that has very consistent players and which has few holes. For example, they have 5 players with 20+ HR. Everyone in their lineup contributes, and that makes them very dangerous.

Jacksonville Falcons
The Falcons were among baseball’s best with a record of 98-64. They are a well-balanced team, entering the playoffs with the 4th most runs scored in the AL and the 2nd fewest allowed. Their offense is led by LF David Vela - .321/.416/.582, 39 doubles, 37 HR, 100 RBI, 7.4 WAR. But they’ll need more than just Vela if they want to go far in October. If they want to win it all, then they’ll need players like former Rookie of the Year Tetsui Baba and former Padre Justin Bellinger to step up. They have a topnotch rotation that can match anyone in the league. They have a dominant trio consisting of former Pitcher of the Year Jim Robinson – 16-11, 3.35 ERA, 207 K, 7.5 WAR – 2029 Cy Young finalist Drake Fellows – 17-10, 3.23 ERA, 151 K, 6.4 WAR – and a former Pitcher of the Year, and current Cy Young contender, Ira Hopstaken – 18-7, 2.51 ERA, 108 K, 5.4 WAR.

Cleveland Indians
The Indians finished the season with a very respectable record of 93-69, which was, however, only good enough for 2nd place in the AL Central. They aren’t quite an elite team, although they probably aren’t that far off either – they rank 8th in runs, and 5th in runs allowed. They have stars, but perhaps not enough around them to do real damage in the postseason. Their offense is headed by the power trio of 1B Tony Alvarado - .289/.371/.537, 38 HR, 112 RBI, 6.5 WAR – 2B Raul Ramos - .274/.342/.488, 39 doubles, 30 HR, 87 RBI, 5.4 WAR – and SS Sancho Berrios - .246/.315/.512, 36 doubles, 34 HR, 83 RBI, 4.2 WAR. On the other side of the ball, it will be up to Tommy Dennis to stop opposing lineups – 14-9, 3.30 ERA, 217 K, 6.2 WAR.

Oakland Athletics
Last, but not least, there are the A’s. The A’s enter the postseason with the worst record of any playoff team – 84-78. They might have a tough go of it since they are only ranked 10th in runs scored and 6th in runs allowed. They have 1 huge and 1 decent threat in their lineup: RF Toshiharu Honma - .350/.402/.596, 39 doubles, 35 HR, 120 RBI, 8.4 WAR – and CF Ken Sparks - .280/.354/.447, 34 doubles, 22 HR, 39 SB, 4.2 WAR. If opposing pitchers can shut down either of these two hitters, then the A’s will be in trouble. Expect SP Zhong-Shan Men – 14-15, 3.38 ERA, 229 K, 6.7 WAR – and SP Alfredo Solis – 11-9, 3.29 ERA, 163 K, 4.0 WAR – to go on short rest if the A’s can move past their first series.

[Sundance]

The Wildcard Series saw the Blue Jays take on the Indians, and the Diamondbacks battle the Padres. In the AL, Cleveland starter Bob Jone got lit up over 3.1 innings, but despite that, the Indians were able to keep the game within reach. Unfortunately for Tribe fans, their efforts just weren’t enough in the end. The Blue Jays took the game 7-6. Over in the NL, familiar rivals Arizona and San Diego were locked up in a pitcher’s duel. Both starters went 8 innings and each gave up 2 earned runs. However, the Padres tacked on 2 additional unearned runs in a 4 run 2nd inning, which was enough to give them the win, 4-2.

Divisional Series

Toronto wins series 3-2 over Baltimore
Jacksonville wins series 3-1 over Oakland
San Francisco wins series 3-2 over Chicago

San Diego vs. Atlanta

The eternal battle – pitching vs. hitting. Atlanta entered this game with the NL’s most productive offense, while we entered with the stingiest pitching staff. Our roster was devastated by injuries at this point, and I didn’t think that we’d be up for a full series. I mean, at this point in the season we were having our backup first baseman playing third, and our regular third baseman playing shortstop, as well as our 4th outfielder starting in center. We were pretty depleted, but the boys know how to rally.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but Gras came up huge in the playoffs. I don’t know what it is about the kid, but when it comes to games in October, he turns into a superstar. Game 1 featured Spotelli going up against former Padre Arvid de Keizer. Gras had a huge day, going 3-4 with a walk, 1 RBI, and 2 SB. We initially jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 4th when Alvarado and Rodriguez hit back to back home runs. We added another 3 in the 7th, and that was all she wrote. Game 1 to us, 5-2.

Atlanta bounced back in Game 2 in a close one. We scored 2 in the 6th, and they immediately answered with 2 of their own in the bottom half of the inning. They added another in the 7th, and we couldn’t match them. Series tied 1-1.

Castillo took the hill for us in Game 3, and even though he was lacking his best stuff, it didn’t matter as the game was a blowout. A leadoff walk to our pitcher eventually led to a run in the 3rd, giving us an early lead. It looked like this might be a close one until we got to the 6th, where we scored 9 runs. Again, everything was started with a leadoff walk, this time by Rodriguez. The Braves tried to get something started in the 7th by scoring 3 runs, but we matched them in the bottom half of the inning. 13 runs on 14 hits for us. We lead the series, 2-1.

Game 4 was a tight one, but once again, it was Gras who came up huge. The 22 year old went 2-4, with 2 runs scored, and 2 SB. There was a lot of scoring early, and after 5 innings the game was tied up 4-4. We both went to pen around this time, and things settled down in a hurry. It looked like we might be headed to extra innings when fate decided to intervene. Our 5th starter, Maeda, came in for relief in the top of the 9th, and since we had already burned our lone pinch hitter, he was forced to fend for himself to lead off the bottom half of the inning. 1st pitch – ball. 2nd pitch – ball. 3rd pitch – so long, goodnight, see ya later – a game winning walk-off homerun by our pitcher! We take the series 3-1!

League Series

Jacksonville wins series 4-3 over Toronto

San Diego vs. San Francisco

This was a series that sparked a lot of interest. Two evenly matched rivals, who split the season series 9-9. There was no clear cut favorite in this one. We got Rodgers back in time for this series, so we were feeling a little better about our roster and its depth at this point. Game 1 featured Castillo going up against Kalkman. Castillo has not looked sharp this postseason, and it has me a bit worried. He only went 5 innings in this one, and he gave up 3. But thanks to some standout offensive performances, his struggles didn’t hurt us too much. Once again, Gras handled business at the plate, going 3-5 with 2 RBI. But it was Kieffer who did the real damage in today’s game. Our right fielder went 4-4 with 3 doubles and a triple. He was in the zone today and got everything started for us. It was a close one, but we took the game 4-3. We lead the series 1-0.

Game 2…Oh what could have been. After jumping on the Giants right out of the gate and scoring 3 in the 1st, we promptly let them back in the game by giving up 2 in the 2nd and 1 in the 4th. Then, in the 6th, disaster struck. They put a whooping on us, knocking in 9 runs in the bottom of the 6th. In the end, they scored 12 runs on 13 hits, which included 4 homeruns. Series tied up at 1.

Games 3 and 4 were back at home in San Diego, where we always play well. However, things didn’t go quite as planned for us. Our starting pitching has just not been very good this postseason. Burrows only managed 5 innings in Game 3, and Castillo had a very pedestrian 7 innings, 3 runs in Game 4. We dropped both games, so things are not looking very good for us at the moment. Giants lead the series 3-1.

We took Game 5 on the backs of homeruns from Rodriguez, Kieffer, and Alvarado. It was nice to give the home fans at least 1 win. Back to San Fran for Game 6, where Hoeing decided to show up – 8 shutout innings. We may have been down, but we were never out. Series tied at 3.

Game 7 – a rematch between Castillo and Kalkman. Unfortunately for us, Castillo, once again, did not have his A game. He managed just 5.1 innings before getting pulled, surrendering 3 runs in the process. On the other side of the field, Kalkman was lights out, going 8 and giving up just 1 unearned run. We had actually held their big hitters in check for most of the series, but in the end, it was their pitching staff that was too much for us to handle. The Giants take the series, 4-3.

Championship Series

Jacksonville wins series 4-0 over San Francisco

[Sundance]

The Good

C Jose Rodriguez
.296/.416/.529, 43 doubles, 24 HR, 78 RBI, 19 SB, 89 BB, 7.1 WAR. Rodriguez seems to be a permanent fixture on the “good” list. The former 27th round draft pick continues to amaze the baseball world and to prove that with hard work, all things are possible. Another monster year from the 31 year old.

1B Ruben Hinojosa
.273/.370/.447, 27 doubles, 23 HR, 98 RBI, 93 BB, 4.7 WAR. We brought in Hinojosa in the hopes that he would be the missing piece of the puzzle in getting us another championship. Because of this, his production is a bit overshadowed by our failure in that endeavor. But it wasn’t for lack of effort from the first baseman. He put up great numbers for us, but in the end, our championship run just wasn’t meant to be.

2B Brendan “Mr. Padre II” Rodgers
.271/.352/.426, 24 doubles, 18 HR, 70 RBI, 26 SB, 3.4 WAR. The face of the franchise. Mr. Does It All. His WAR may be down, but he still manages to be a very productive player. 2031 marked his 15th year in the league, and time may have caught up with him a little – he battled nagging injuries for most of the year, and his first step seems to have lost a little bit. Still, he put up some very good numbers, and remained an integral part of our success.

SS Alfredo Miranda
.280/.322/.453, 23 doubles, 22 HR, 30 SB, 4.3 WAR. His numbers were down from last season, but he did miss nearly 40 games, so we aren’t too concerned. He’s only 24, and now that his power has developed, he’s an incredibly well-rounded player. A great season with solid numbers across the board for our leadoff man.

LF Jorge Alvarado
.322/.349/.498, 27 doubles, 25 HR, 88 RBI, 32 SB, 7.0 WAR. You might be noticing a trend here – we really like players that can do a bit of everything. Alvarado is another guy who fits that sort of mold. Great bat control, has good pop, and can run. No sophomore slump for the 2030 Rookie of the Year.

RF Edouard Kieffer
.295/.371/.437, 28 doubles, 18 HR, 24 SB, 5.9 WAR. Relieved of the pressures of hitting cleanup, Kieffer enjoyed a very nice season. Without the protection around him, he did see his power numbers drop a tad, but overall, I think he became a much more well-rounded hitter this season. His BA jumped 40+ points and his OBP jumped nearly 50 points. Very excited about his development.

SP Nacho Castillo
15-7, 2.96 ERA, 167 K, 1.07 WHIP, 3.7 WAR. His numbers were a little worse than last season, but our ace had a solid year. Not much to complain about here.

SP Gustavo Spotelli
14-8, 2.95 ERA, 227 K, 1.04 WHIP, 4.4 WAR. 2031 was Spotelli’s year. He set career bests in ERA, IP, WHIP, and WAR. It’s taken him a long time to reach this point, but these are the sort of numbers that we always knew that he could put up. It was great to see him finally do it.

SP Tadaaki Maeda
14-5, 2.89 ERA, 114 K, 1.10 WHIP, 2.7 WAR. Going into 2031, we weren’t expecting much out of our 5th starter, but Maeda managed to take everyone by surprise. He greatly exceeded expectations, and we are excited to see what the future brings for the 26 year old.

MR Antonio Mendoza
93.1 IP, 2.89 ERA, 98 K, 1.20 WHIP, 2.0 WAR. Despite some late season struggles, Mendoza was a reliever extraordinaire this season. A 2.0 WAR coming out of the pen? Can’t complain about that. Much like Alvarado, there was no sophomore slump here.

CL Jorge “Punch” Fernandez
48 SV, 2.92 ERA, 100 K, 1.08 WHIP, 12.2 K/9, .212 BAA, 1.0 WAR. 1 save short of tying his career high, a sub-3.00 ERA, and a career low in walks. Although he wasn’t quite as dominant as he’s been over the past couple of seasons, 2031 was still another extremely solid year for Punch.

The Bad

CF Hector Salas
.221/.285/.359, 10 doubles, 6 HR, 27 RBI, -0.4 WAR. Talk about a huge drop off. In 2030, Salas hit .329/.369/.563 with 34 HR, 117 RBI, and 7.0 WAR. His decline was incredible and unexpected. And don’t even get me started on his health problems. We brought him in to replace Orosco, who was injured all of the time. Boy did that move backfire. At least Orosco performed well when he was on the field.

Our Bench
While I don’t expect our bench to be full of stars, I do hope that they can be serviceable. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case this year. Yamanaka hit .141, Balcome hit .173, and Jimenez hit .197. I suppose I must assume my fair share of the blame here as well, since I’m the one responsible for piecing this team together. If we can free up some cap space, this might be an area that we work on.

[Sundance]

Here's a look at how we ranked in the NL

[Sundance]

2031 League Batting Leaders

[Sundance]

2031 League Pitching Leaders

[Sundance]

Manager of the Year

AL:

Takahiro Ikeyama, Jac

NL:

Brian Dauback, SF

Gold Glove

AL:

P Orlando Munoz, CWS
C Kwan-Yew Guo, NYY
1B Tony Alvarado, Cle
2B Raul Ramos, Cle
3B Tomas Moreno, Tor
SS Steve Hill, Jac
LF Eric Maillot, Tex
CF Ross Korosec, Sea
RF Raul Guzman, CWS

NL:

P Ruben Cruz, CHC
C Edgardo Bernal SF
1B Ebbe Overgaag, SF
2B Alex Perez, Ari
3B Ivan Pena, SF
SS Antonio Robles, Atl
LF Jorge Alvarado, SD
CF Elvis Thompson, Phi
RF Ismael Rosario, Mia

Rookie of the Year

AL:

C Jose Calderon, Tor
.294/.329/.492, 25 doubles, 31 HR, 97 RBI, 2.7 WAR

NL:

RF Jesus Martinez, Pit
.293/.359/.458, 44 doubles, 3 triples, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 26 SB, 2.2 WAR

Cy Young

AL:

Ira Hopstaken, Jac
18-7, 2.51 ERA, 218.1 IP, 27 BB, 108 K, 5.4 WAR

NL:

Roger Lacroix, SF
48 SV, 0.87 ERA, 72.1 IP, 9 BB, 64 K, 0.86 WHIP, 2.4 WAR
(Nacho Castillo finished 2nd in voting)

MVP

AL:

RF Toshiharu Honma, Oak
.350/.402/.596, 39 doubles, 3 triples, 35 HR, 120 RBI, 8.4 WAR

NL:

RF Sancho Acevedo, Col
.374/.445/.670, 48 doubles, 2 triples, 45 HR, 124 RBI, 10.4 WAR (Triple Crown Winner)
(Jose Rodriguez finished 2nd in voting)

[Sundance]

SP Beau Burrows, SP Bryan Hoeing, MR Dave Ling, CF Hector Salas, and CF Johnny Kobes filed for free agency.

Hoeing was the first to go, as he signed with Tampa Bay for $14.9 million, and we received a 1st round supplemental pick in return. Salas then signed with the Cubs for $15.8 million. Most of our outfield prospects aren’t quite ready for the big leagues just yet, so we actually ended up resigning Kobes, who was only asking for $1.14 million. Burrows signed with the Nationals, and we received another 1st round supplemental pick. We almost resigned Burrows, who was asking for $7 million, but we waited a little too long to make that decision, and he ended up signing for $4.84 million.

Despite losing Burrows, Hoeing, and Salas to free agency, our money was still all locked up, so we headed to the trade market as soon as the preseason officially started.

Trade #1

The Angels received 1B Ruben Hinojosa and CF Jorge Castillo. In return, we received their 1st round pick. The Angels are in “win now” mode, and we are in the midst of a mini-rebuild, so this deal made a lot of sense to both sides. Hinojosa is a 3-time MVP, a former ROY, and an 8-time All-Star, but he is soon to be 35, so he doesn’t really fit into any of our plans for the future. The Angels instantly get better with his acquisition, and we free up $23 million in the process. They didn’t quite want to do a 1 for 1 deal, so they targeted Castillo to sweeten the pot.

Trade #2

The White Sox received SP Nacho Castillo, IF Emil Jacobse, and San Diego’s 10th-14th round draft picks. In return, San Diego received Chicago’s 1st round draft pick. Another deal with another team that is looking to win it all this season. Castillo will certainly be missed, but we felt like he was on the wrong side of his prime. His performance in the playoffs really raised some concerns with us, and we just weren’t comfortable with how he was developing in the offseason. He’s still a quality pitcher, so he’s more a casualty of our rebuild than anything else – We wanted another draft pick, and he was eating up $15.87 million. Still, it’s hard to say goodbye to a pitcher who is 98-58 with 1350 K and a 3.07 ERA. We initially wanted to just trade Castillo and the draft picks, but Chicago wasn’t going for it. They targeted Jacobse, which is a bit of a shame for us since we were planning to use him in a platoon role at first base this season.

So, now that we freed up all this money, it was time to lock up our core players going forward. We signed C Jose Rodriguez to a 4 year, $94 million extension. Rodriguez is 31 years old and is still one of the best offensive catchers in the league. He’s finished 2nd in MVP voting in each of the last 2 seasons, and we don’t have any catching prospects waiting in the wings, so he was the first player that we wanted to lock up. Next, we signed 1B Victor “Blitz” Herrera to a 3 year, $27.6 million extension. He’s 28 years old, above average offensively, and a superb defender. He had a bit of a down season last year, but we’re hoping that he bounces back soon. We then signed SS Alfredo Miranda to a 6 year, $130.45 million extension. Even though it seems like he’s been around for a while now, Miranda is still just 24 years old. Tying him up for the next 6 years is great for us since he is probably going to be our main guy going forward. After Miranda, we went after RF Edouard Kieffer and got him to sign a 5 year, $64.5 million extension. While perhaps not as heralded as the aforementioned players, Kieffer is a great player and still just 26 years old. He’s a former Gold Glove winner, he’s a line drive hitter with good pop, and he’s a smart runner with above average speed. Most importantly, he’s incredibly intelligent and a natural leader. He’s constantly studying opponents and acts as a coach on the field. You always see him talking to other players about positioning, or pitcher tendencies, or whatever else he has picked up upon.

Now that our offensive core was locked up, it was time to focus on a couple of pitching pieces. We got CL Jorge “Punch” Fernandez to sign a 1 year, $11 million extension. We aren’t thrilled with the terms of this deal. We had really wanted to sign him to a multiple year contract, but he was set on a 1 year deal. We have a couple of pitching prospects that are suited for a closer role, but none of them are ready yet, so this deal was a bit of a necessary evil. We then signed MR Kevin Lee to a 1 year, $1.75 million extension. Much like with Punch, we had wanted to sign him to a multi-year deal, but he was dead set on just 1 year. It’s also much the same story as to why we signed him – most of our pitching prospects just aren’t ready yet.

We still had a couple of holes in our rotation, so with some of our leftover money we went out and signed SP Edwin Maginnis and SP Adrian “Fever” Gonzalez. Both guys are backend starter quality, but they are good clubhouse leaders and were both cheap ($1.3 million each). We aren’t expecting much out of them, but they’ll get the job done for us.

As of this moment, the core of our team consists of C Jose Rodriguez, 1B Victor Herrera, 2B Brendan Rodgers, SS Alfredo Miranda, LF Jorge Alvarado, RF Edouard Kieffer, and SP Gustavo Spotelli. We’re still waiting to see who emerges from our group of young second baseman – Jean-Philippe Gras, Al Hughes, and Jim DeWitt. And the jury is also still out on a number of pitching prospects, including SP Tadaaki Maeda and MR/SP Antonio Mendoza.

League News

This year’s Hall of Fame inductees were:

SP King Felix – 213-179, 3.27 ERA, 3181 K
SP Clayton Kershaw – 218-138, 2.89 ERA, 3174 K
CL Kenley Jansen – 536 SV, 2.64 ERA, 1662 K

Yankees manager Jesus Arredondo, Royals manager Pedro Grifol, and Dodgers GM Matt Bolduc have all been fired.

Major Transaction News

Angels sign CF Patrick Rambaud – 2 years, $30 million

Astros sign SP Winder Novas – 2 years, $36.4 million

Blue Jays sign 1B Jesus Santos – 3 years, $63.6 million

Brewers sign C Robert Jolly – 3 years, $39 million
Brewers sign LF Keizo Chikafuji – 6 years, $153.6 million
Brewers sign CF Tim Elmore – 5 years, $71.6 million

Cubs sign CF Hector Salas – 3 years, $47.4 million

Mariners sign CL Aubert Grande – 3 years, $43.8 million

Nationals sign C Hector Nava – 4 years, $75.2 million
Nationals sign RF Jorge Chavez – 5 years, $78 million
Nationals sign SP Zhong-Shan Men – 6 years, $168 million

Phillies sign 3B Adrian Martinez – 3 years, $75 million
Phillies sign CF Ismael Nunez – 5 years, $104 million
Phillies sign SP Jim Robinson – 4 years, $90.2 million

Pirates sign SP Ken Dodson – 7 years, $88.3 million

Rangers sign SP Juan Corona – 5 years, $80 million

Rays sign 1B Shawn Walters – 5 years, $102.4 million
Rays sign SP Bryan Hoeing – 2 years, $29.8 million

Red Sox sign SP Brandon Murray – 2 years, $43.2 million

Tigers sign SP Jiovanni Orozco – 2 years, $34.2 million
Tigers sign CF Chris Williams – 4 years, $69.4 million
Tigers sign SS Satoshi Hirata – 6 years, $140 million
Tigers sign LF Rod Knutsen – 4 years, $45 million

Twins sign SS T.J. Heath – 4 years, $47.2 million

White Sox sign CF Ted Rodriguez – 3 years, $43.5 million

[Sundance]

Given what the experts predict for us, and what our owner expects out of us, I’d say that anything could happen this year. The experts have us finishing 89-73, good enough for 3rd in the West, but not good enough to make the playoffs. Our owner will just be happy with us playing above .500. Personally? I think we stand a good chance of making some noise in the West. Like I mentioned before, this was only a mini-rebuild. True, we decimated our rotation, and we lost a big bat in Hinojosa, but our offensive core, the next generation of Padres, remains intact. I definitely side with the experts here. I think we can get a win total in the high 80s – maybe even into the 90s if we catch a couple breaks. The West looks to be competitive again this season, so with all of us beating up on each other, I think we have a fair shot at the division title.

We certainly aren’t going to be the dominant team of years past. We aren’t going to shut down offenses like we are accustomed to doing. But we certainly have enough talent to hang with anyone in the league. We aren’t far from being on top again. Our guys are really young, and most of them are already established big leaguers. If we get a couple more that prove that they can hang at this level, then we’ll certainly be contenders.

The transition into this new era has been a long time coming. It seems as though players like Miranda and Kieffer have been with the club forever. Brendan Rodgers, Jose Rodriguez, and Gustavo Spotelli are all that remain of what I would call Generation I of this dynasty.

[Sundance]

SP Tadaaki Maeda – All eyes will be on Maeda this season as he tries to prove that last year wasn’t just a fluke. Scouts have Maeda rated as an average to slightly above average pitcher. He has decent velocity at 92-94 MPH and his 3-pitch repertoire includes 2 killer off speed pitches. Everything he throws has a wrinkle in it, so hitters have a hard time making solid contact and getting the ball into the air. He went 14-5 with a 2.89 ERA last year in his first full season as a starter. Was he just lightning in a bottle? Or is he the real deal?

SP Gustavo Spotelli – Long overshadowed by the trio of Castillo, Hoeing, and Burrows, Spotelli enters the new season as the team’s ace for the first time in his career. In 34 starts last season he went 14-8 with a 2.95 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 227 K. He’ll need to put up numbers like that once again if the Padres want to make it to the playoffs this year.

CL Jorge “Punch” Fernandez – Over the years Punch has established himself as one of the league’s premier closers. However, given his price tag and his refusal to sign a multi-year deal, he’ll have to once again establish his dominance to prove that he deserves a spot on this roster. If he can be lights out once again, it’ll go a long way towards helping the team make the playoffs. However, if his performance slips, he may find himself wearing a new jersey come July.

C Jose Rodriguez – The 31 year old catcher has finished 2nd in MVP voting in each of the last 2 seasons – not too shabby for a former 27th round draft pick! He’s established himself as one of the league’s best offensive talents, and with the departure of Hinojosa, it’ll be all up to Rodriguez to clear the bases. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride, but if he can up his performance just a tick, he might take home that elusive award.

2B Jean-Philippe Gras/Al Hughes/Jim DeWitt – Ages 23, 21, and 24 respectively. All 3 will make the opening day roster, but 1 of them will need to step up and established themselves as the top dog among the group. Gras had a great season last year, and his heroics in the post-season have been well documented, however he only has about 190 regular season games under his belt, so the jury is still out on whether or not he can maintain that performance. The front office will certainly have their eye on this group and will be looking for one among them to emerge as a star.

3B Brendan “Mr. Padre II” Rodgers – 2032 will be Rodgers’ 16th year in the league. There’s a lot of wear and tear on that body. He’s lost a step or two, but he’s still a very productive player. He should be breaking 2500 hits and 250 HR this season. Given that his legs aren’t what they used to be, I’d say it’s extremely unlikely that he breaks 700 SB this year, but he should be able to chip away at it and put himself in position to break that milestone next year. He’ll need to maintain his performance to keep the team’s playoff hopes alive.

SS Alfredo “Seeker” Miranda – Miranda will once again sit at the top of our lineup and will be responsible for getting things going for us. He’s developed his power over the past couple of seasons, so he’s also a threat to drive in runs for us. He’s only 24, so there’s still room to grow, but as of right now, he should be able to be counted on for 20+ doubles, 20+ HR, and 30+ SB.

LF Jorge Alvarado – With no sophomore slump, the 2030 Rookie of the Year is well on his way to proving that he’s the real deal. His power numbers were slightly down last year, so we’ll be looking for him to have a little more pop this season. Still, he’s an incredibly solid hitter, and we’re happy to have him sitting in the middle of our lineup.

RF Edouard Kieffer – Relieved of the pressures of being the cleanup hitter, Kieffer enjoyed a great season last year, with his BA jumping over 40 points! It remains to be seen if last season was the real Kieffer, but if he can continue his form from last year, it’ll go a long way towards helping us win this year.

[Sundance]

Opening Day lineups for 2032

[Sundance]

We had just one prospect make the Top 100 list this season – CF Daisuke Sumita at #52. Sumita was an international free agent signing in 2029 and is currently rated 41/54. There’s a lot to like about him, although he doesn’t project to be a star. Offensively, he has the potential to be incredible average across the board. However, he has ridiculous speed and is an extremely smart runner, and his defensive ability is topnotch. He’s a bottom of the lineup hitter, but assuming that the rest of the offense can carry him, he might find his way into the lineup.

Although they are no longer considered prospects, our group of young second basemen is something to keep an eye on. Jean-Philippe Gras (46/46) is the most experienced of the bunch and certainly seems like the headliner of the group. He’s 23 and has above average hitting ability, but no pop. In 125 games last year (69 starts) he went .307/.343/.385 with 6 triples and 2.3 WAR. He’s one of the fastest players around, but sadly, his ability on the base paths only grades out as average. He has a habit of second guessing himself, rather than trusting his speed. He’s a very good defender with excellent footwork and an above average arm.

Jim DeWitt (42/49) is the oldest of the bunch at 24. He didn’t impress last year with his first stint with the club, going .239/.276/.393 in 90 games (47 starts). Still, we have hope for him. Our scouting department says that he is an above average to good hitter with enough power to keep defenders honest. He’s got good speed and is very smart on the base paths. Defensively, he’s about average – he won’t kill us, but he won’t win any awards either.

Lastly, there’s Al Hughes (24/37), the youngest of the bunch at 21. He’s a line drive hitter that might hit 10-15 out a year. Overall, he projects to be an average offensive talent. He’s got good speed and is a very smart runner. Defensively, he’s slightly above average, but he has an extremely weak arm, even by second baseman standards. Anything up the middle is going to be tough for him to make the out.

Other prospects to keep an eye on include CL David Gonzalez (43/54), RF Jose Santos (33/46), and MR Cristo Gutierrez (36/45).

The #1 overall prospect belongs to Boston – 20 year old 1B/OF Tony Rocha.

[Sundance]

4/6/2032

Jacksonville Falcons owner Jose Carbajal has passed away today. The Falcons entered the league in 2022, making the playoffs for the first time in 2029, and winning their first championship in 2031. It is expected that Jose’s son, Johnny, will assume ownership of the franchise. Johnny is said to be a very involved front office member and the word on the street is that he’ll be a controlling and demanding owner.

4/20/2032

Former Padre and current Philly Adrian Martinez has racked up hit #2000! The 32 year old shortstop went 3-5 as his team put a beating on the Giants, 11-1. For his career, Martinez is a .301 hitter with 299 HR and 1023 RBI.

4/21/2032

SP Gustavo Spotelli tossed a complete game shutout today against the Cardinals. Spotelli looked every bit the ace that the Padres were expecting as he struck out 11, gave up 1 hit, and walked 2 in the team’s 1-0 victory.

4/22/2032

The baseball gods giveth, and the baseball gods taketh away. Just one day after Padres starter Gustavo Spotelli pitched a complete game shutout, San Diego was no-hit by St. Louis’ Jose Rodriguez. The 32 year old lefty struck out 8 and surrendered 4 walks. The Cardinals would win the game, 2-0.

Monthly Review

April was a decent month for us, as the team went 13-10. We’re currently in 2nd place, just 1 game behind the Giants, so we’re in a pretty good position early on. The team is playing alright, but not great – the offense is putting up a middle of the pack performance, our pitching staff is giving up a lot of hits, and our defense has not been great. But, it’s early on and this is a small sample size, so I’m not overly concerned just yet.

Hot

C Jose Rodriguez - .356/.447/.671, 6 HR, 16 RBI
2B Jim DeWitt - .353/.378/.412, 4 SB
SS Alfredo Miranda - .330/.368/.520, 4 HR
SP Gustavo Spotelli – 4-0, 1.53 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 46 K

Not

1B Junior Jimenez - .000/.091/.000
2B Jean-Philippe Gras - .236/.295/.291
2B Al Hughes - .143/.200/.143
3B Brendan Rodgers - .202/.302/.262, 28 K
CF Johnny Kobes - .171/.176/.229
CL Jorge Fernandez – 8.31 ERA, 1.62 WHIP

Monthly Awards

AL:

Top Batter – Hector Rodriguez (.379 BA, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 22 R), Yankees
Top Pitcher – Jorge Silva (4-0, 0.75 ERA, 36 K), Royals
Rookie – Sergio Cabrera (.286 BA, 7 HR, 14 RBI, 12 R), Angels

NL:

Top Batter – Tony Melendez (.378 BA, 7 HR, 17 RBI, 16 R), Braves
Top Pitcher – Gustavo Spotelli (4-0, 1.53 ERA, 46 K), Padres
Rookie – Cristo Cruz (.319 BA, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 10 R), Dodgers

[Sundance]

5/2/2032

Jacksonville’s Willie Jackson hit for the cycle today! The Falcons' right fielder tagged the Orioles’ pitching staff for 4 hits and 5 RBI in 6 at bats. Jackson tripled in 1st, homered in the 2nd, singled in the 3rd, and doubled in the 5th to complete his cycle.

5/4/2032

The baseball world mourns the loss of another one of its owners. Michael Dolan, owner of the Cleveland Indians, has passed away this morning, after years of battling health issues. His son, Artie, has assumed most of the day to day tasks, and is expected to assume full control of the club. Artie is said to be a generous and lenient man, and his ownership style should reflect that. Our thoughts go out to the Dolan family.

5/7/2032

This year’s draft pool has been released! The Top 10 prospects appear to be:

RF Rob Payne – This kid looks like a star. At 23 he’s one of the oldest players in this year’s draft, but he’s also the closest to being big league ready. He could probably jump right into the roster of a bad team and serve as a bench player or in a platoon role. He’s got a smooth, natural swing that should enable him to hit well over .300. He’s also got good pop; not enough to win any homerun contests, but enough for 20-30 a year. Average decision making at the plate, but his mechanics are incredibly consistent – making him a tough one to strikeout. He’s got good speed and is a very intelligent runner. He’s a good defender and has a canon of an arm. Star potential here.

RHP Caden Bishop – The best starter prospect in this year’s draft. He’s got great natural movement on all of his pitches. He’s got two big league ready pitches in his sinker and forkball, a slider that could be amazing, and a changeup that needs a lot of work. Very good velocity – consistently hits 95 MPH. There’s a little bit of concern over his stamina, but it’s nothing too major to worry about. If he develops the way he’s projected, then he’s easily an ace on most staffs, and at worst, a #2 on upper tier rotations.

CF Kavan Sumterman – Above average offensive prospect. .260-.270 hitter with slightly above average power. Above average speed, and he’s an average, at best, defender. Not enough talent here to be a star, but there’s enough there to be a big league regular.

3B Lou O’Herlihy – I personally like this kid a lot. The big knock against him is that he’s a third baseman with little power. But he brings a lot to the table and is a threat in other ways. Projects to be a .290-.300 hitter. Fundamentally sound swing, so while he may not hit many balls out, he still has the ability to drive the ball into the gaps. Should also develop an above average eye and will be a tough out. Amazing speed and running ability. I won’t be surprised if at some point someone tries to convert him to a middle infielder or outfielder. His skill set just doesn’t scream third baseman.

CF Sean Sims – More of a defensive prospect than anything. He currently has the potential to be an incredibly average hitter across the board. But he has fantastic speed and phenomenal range in the field, so he should find a spot on somebody’s roster. He might be a starter on a bad team, but he’s probably better off as a role player.

SS Artie Hall – Definitely not a top tier prospect, but there are some things to like about Hall. He should be an average to slightly above average batter with enough pop to cause some damage every once in a while. He’s a solid defender and runs well. There’s enough talent there for him to have a long, quiet career.

RF Noel Hall – Average hitting ability, average defender, no speed. His skill set screams platoon guy.

CL Dave Riley – He already has the stuff to contend at a big league level, but he needs to develop his movement a bit more, and he really needs to work on his control. If he reaches his potential, he should be a lights out closer. He throws hard, 96-98 MPH, and could develop one of the nastiest curves in the business. I’m not sure how many teams will be looking for a closer, but there’s a lot to like about this kid.

OF Ivan Valdes – Another role player. His offensive potential is well below average, but his speed and instincts on the bases are incredible, and he has the defensive ability to be a perennial Gold Glove winner. He can play anywhere in the outfield, although he’s most comfortable in center or left. He might start on a bottom dweller, but he’ll most likely find a career as a pinch runner and/or defensive sub.

RHP Curt Clay – There’s talent here, but he needs to be willing to put in the work. He has the potential to have above average stuff, movement, and control and he could develop an effective fastball and a knee-buckling curve. He really needs to develop his third pitch, a changeup, if he wants to be a starter. He has okay velocity, but he’s not going to blow anyone away. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the middle of someone’s rotation one day.

5/12/2032

It’s been a tough few months for the baseball world, and this morning it got just a little bit tougher. With sadness in our hearts, we inform you that yet another owner has passed away. Mario Figueroa, owner of the Indianapolis Crusaders, has succumbed to illness after years of fighting. The Crusaders entered the league in 2022, and the team has enjoyed success in recent years – making the playoffs from 2027-2030. Chris Figueroa, Mario’s son, is expected to be named the new owner of the club. The younger Figueroa has a reputation of being a controlling and demanding businessman. Our thoughts go out to the Figueroa family.

5/16/2032

Chalk up shutout #2 for San Diego’s Gustavo Spotelli! The 30 year old righty shut down the Braves, giving up 4 hits while striking out 9 and walking none. In 9 starts this season Spotelli is 6-1 with a 1.75 ERA and 63 K.

5/24/2032

RF Sancho Acevedo has collected hit #2000! The Rockies’ star went 2-4 in the team’s 6-5 win over the A’s. Acevedo is a career .347 hitter, with 380 doubles and 225 HR to go along with his 2000 hits.

5/31/2032

3B Brendan Rodgers, the long time face of the franchise for the Padres, has been named the NL Player of the Week! Over the last 7 days the 34 year old has hit .438 with 2 HR, 7 RBI, and 5 R. This week has been a rare highlight in what has been a disappointing season so far for the veteran. To date, Rodgers is hitting just .219, and the 2 homeruns he hit this week were his first of the season.

Monthly Review

May was another ok, but not stellar month for the boys. We went 15-13, which brings our overall record to 28-23. We’ve taken the top spot in the West with a 3 game lead over Arizona. Surprisingly, the preseason favorite Giants have fallen 6.5 games back. Our offense has performed incredibly well so far. We currently rank 1st in BA, 2nd in OPS, 1st in runs, and 1st in SB. Our pitching staff is also performing well, but certainly isn’t as dominant as in years past. The starters rank 1st in ERA, but our pen ERA ranks 10th. There’s been a couple points of concern going forward for this team. First, our home/away splits. We’re only 8-11 at home, but we’re 20-12 on the road…Maybe Petco is getting into the heads of our players. Second, we can’t seem to win close games. We’re 4-10 in 1 run games. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on these two areas going forward.

Hot

2B Al Hughes - .560/.560/.640, 5 SB
2B Jim DeWitt - .348/.367/.370, 5 SB
LF Jorge Alvarado - .351/.375/.640, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 20 R
SP Adrian Gonzalez – 4-1, 1.73 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 41 K
CL Jorge Fernandez – 8 SV, 1.13 ERA, 0.88 WHIP

Not

3B Brendan Rodgers - .224/.272/.318
CF Johnny Kobes - .237/.260/.333
SP Tadaaki Maeda – 1-3, 8.06 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, 15 K
MR Juan Diaz – 5.50 ERA, 1.44 WHIP
MR Willie Francis – 9.00 ERA, 2.50 WHIP
MR Ivan Saldana – 9.53 ERA, 2.12 WHIP

Monthly Awards

AL:

Top Batter – Tad Vaughn (.364 BA, 14 HR, 28 RBI, 22 R), Orioles
Top Pitcher – Eugenio Ontiveros (5-0, 2.48 ERA, 27 K), Blue Jays
Rookie – Yo Yamada (4-1, 1.10 ERA, 44 K), Red Sox

NL:

Top Batter – Naohiro Nakamura (.415 BA, 9 HR, 13 RBI, 19 R), Mets
Top Pitcher – Pete Petit (5-1, 1.36 ERA, 53 K), Crusaders
Rookie – Cristo Cruz (.258 BA, 6 HR, 15 RBI, 11 R), Dodgers