Introducing Your Hawaii Islanders!

[Bub13]

So. As I said above, 2057 was quite the roller coaster. Highs and lows, a lot of frustration and elation. Let me recap the thrill ride.

You've seen us start 6-6 up above; the rest of April didn't go so well either, as we finished 12-15 for the opening month and tied for last in the division. We turned things around in May, going 17-10 for that month, and afterwards an okay-not-great 15-12 in June. Then, July was a sign that this was going to be a strange year, but that things still might end well. We were .500 during that month, but went from trailing Texas by a game at the start of the month, to leading the division by a game at the end. August then saw us go 16-12 as the Rangers imploded, and we headed into September with a six game lead over Texas and California. That was the month where everything finally came together: we went 18-9 to pull away in the division, and our team offense and pitching finally jelled into the solid units I knew we had back in the spring.

Our final record: 91-71 and winning the division by ten over the Angels. Not bad at all, but that was the worst record for a division winner in MLB. And oddly, showing just how mediocre our division was all year, we had the second largest division-winning margin in the game, behind only Philadelphia (won the NL East by 12). And we won all those games in September on the back of an offense that went from 8th in the AL to top three in most categories in just one month, and pitching that had a similar rise in fortunes. (I'll add that neither unit was ever terrible all season long, but we consistently ranked from about 5th to 9th in both sides of the coin for most of the year. Our offense, for example, would be on fire for a series, then be unable to muster more than five hits a game for over a week. Frustrating.)

Looking at our player stats, below, doesn't quite tell the tale of the two halves of our season. Early on, it was Medici and Villalpando who carried the offense. Meds was hitting about .350 at the all-star break, and actually slumped quite a bit over the last half. Pando, likewise, dropped from an early .330 run. But both produced in other ways, giving time for the rest of the guys to wake up and start hitting together as a unit. Kevin Reynolds produced, but hit 40 points under his career average. Every other OF struggled with consistency, with opening day starter Eric Bennetsen never finding his groove, and ending up more as a pitcher in August-September. Last year's surprise, 2B Bill Gamboa was hitting .142 in June and spent much of the early summer in AAA before injuries and slumps made me bring him back up. His .243 on the season doesn't look great, but doesn't tell that he hit .285 after his mid-June recall. Still, things came together when it counted...

On the mound, Waugh was dominant (again), Loeb solidified his #2 status, and the bullpen was generally good after a rough patch in late April through much of May. Irvin was absolutely terrible until I moved him to the pen in August, Croft started strong but didn't win a game after July, and youngsters Christensen and McGee looked unready for the bigs in most of their starts. I traded for former Isle Mike Bader at the deadline (from Seattle), and he was a major boon, pitching steadily and smoothly for us.

About the only bummer stats-wise was our woeful defense. We committed few errors--sixth best in the AL--but had the league's worst ZR and EFF. That likely contributed to the interesting stat of having the #1 ranked FIP in the AL, but the worst BABIP. Improving this will be a challenging off-season conundrum.

So how did the playoffs go? Wait until my next post...

[Bub13]

Yes, we won! I figured, why bury the lede? Let you know right up front!

Truly this was a strange ride of a season. From being under .500 over a month in, to catching the Rangers in July, to pulling away from the rest of the division over August-September.

In the playoffs, we took care of AL East-winning Boston in four, with Jules Medici getting the MVP nod for hitting .500 with 4 home runs. Then we met the guys who took us out last year, Miami, who took out Detroit in five. This was a tough test, as we were down 3 games to 2 before winning game six at home, 5-1, then getting a John Loeb shutout in Miami to take the series! Medici again won the series MVP, hitting .321 and bashing four more homers.

The World Series was a classic. Home teams won the first six games, with the Reds opening with two wins, then us taking the next three at home. They put an old-fashioned curb stomp on us in game six, winning 15 to 7, and I thought "here we go again." But in game seven we opened a big early 7-0 lead, then held on to win 8-5 and claim the title! (And despite adding two more HR, Medici did not take MVP honors, which instead went to Reds OF Jake Glowski, after he hit .556 with 2 HR of his own. I'll take the series win instead.)

A surprise win! And a most welcome one after an often frustrating season. Can only imagine what next year will bring...

[Sizeman21]

Good work with your Islanders Bub! Another season in the bag!

[Palaaemon]

Grats on the great season my friend! It looks to have been a successful one but we have no idea what it entailed. I am sure you will fill us in so I won't pester you with questions (even though I have plenty). I will wait (im)patiently.

[Bub13]

Originally Posted by Palaaemon

Grats on the great season my friend! It looks to have been a successful one but we have no idea what it entailed. I am sure you will fill us in so I won't pester you with questions (even though I have plenty). I will wait (im)patiently.

Okay, you talked me into it. Rather than a detailed, month-by-month and stats-heavy breakdown, I'll go by position, and mix in a little thinking about the future, too.

Catcher. We began with a platoon of Jamie Collins (vs RH) and Rich Wilson (vs LH). Collins hits for power, Wilson doesn't hit much but is notably better behind the plate. Getting most of the starts early on, Collins hit poorly while Wilson was hovering around .270, so I bumped Collins down. Wilson didn't hit much after that, but was better defensively and got on base more often. A free agent on a one-year deal, I extended Wilson for three more seasons (plus a year-four TO) and will make him the "starter" for '58, although Collins will still play a lot. Collins has not fulfilled the early promise I thought he had, and so I do not consider this position a settled one in the longer term, even with Wilson's extension. We have no "can't miss" prospects coming up here, either, so I may have to settle for good-enough hitting and solid defense instead.

First Base. Villalpando started hot, prompting a trade of long-time (and disgruntled) former starter Josh Matson. Pando had a solid season and he's still growing, so I expect bigger and bigger things from him this season and beyond. He will require a cornerstone-type contract one day, however, so we'll have to make room for that eventually. He's also a natural 3B, and could move back there if one of my non-fielding type prospects needs a safe haven in the lineup sometime soon.

Second Base. Bill Gamboa was the surprise of '56, but got off to an awful start (batting around .140) and was returned to AAA in June. He came back after a month and raised his average by a hundred points over the course of the season, and stabilized our subpar middle infield defense. If he can at least bat .250 with some power and some OBP, while playing that plus-ZR and high Efficiency defense, he'll stick around. And he's not being pushed by anyone in the system: stud hitting prospect Julio Cepin is listed as a 2B, but seems to have an active fear of a batted ball, so the jury is out as to where he'll wind up on the field.)

Third Base. Jose Caldering started and ended the year as the main guy here, but in between he really struggled, and often found himself platooning or spending whole series on the bench. All of his rate stats declined from '56, despite getting 150 more at bats. For now, he's still the #1, although SS J.J. Simmons outplayed him defensively here. He'll get one more year to find his bat, as our scouts still say he's capable of .300 and 30 HR year-in, year-out. That kind of hitting will more than make up for a subpar glove.

Shortstop. Simmons is now 35, but turned in his usual solid season at the plate, and stayed healthy for the second year running. His .394 OBP usually had him in leadoff, and he generally produced, even if he's a step below his golden days. Having lost a step in the field, ideally he'd be at third (where he's won 3 GGs) instead, but his complete lack of power is not ideal there. Given that he's making a hefty $25M this year and next (with a PO for '60), he'd better keep producing. The #1 prospect in MLB is Cris Flores, who looks *just about* ready for the bigs; if he has a big camp, that may force him into the lineup and force some platoons at second and third. Flores, however, has missed extended time his last two minor league seasons, so he's not a certainty here despite his lofty projections. Alaistair Hulse made 64 starts here and was fine, despite his lack of power. A nice backup option in case of injuries, and a cranky man when he's not starting, just for fun.

Outfield. We began the year with a Bennetsen-Hassell-Reynolds trio, none of whom hit at all over the first month. Reynolds in particular did not really earn his hefty extension (over $30M in '57, now $41M for this season) until the all-star break. Bennetsen never did regain his past form, and in fact was moved into the pitching staff for a spell in August. He may still have more of a future there. I like him, but he may become a salary victim if he never regains his early-career form at the plate. Hassell looked like my CF of the future in the minors, and the scouts still say he'll mature into a dynamite hitter. But he's no longer a CF option, really, as this season's fielding stats (-14 ZR) demonstrate. So while Reynolds remained in right, the rest of the OF became a constant juggling act of Bennetsen, Hassell, and planned backups Jeremy Hagemann and Beau Collins. Hagemann fared the best at the plate, although Collins showed flashes as well. Neither is fun to watch in the field (esp. Collins and his -7 ZR in 60 starts in center). Only Reynolds was a positive defensively, and this unit's poor play in the field likely contributed to our pitching's struggled (more on that below). So I feel like I need to go out and grab a CF, meaning that one of the five non-Reynolds guys may have to go.

Designated Hitter. Jules Medici was the team MVP at the plate, and carried the offense until he slumped in September. But by then everyone else had come around, and we played our best team ball of the season. He's the largely unsung hero here, topping 40 HR for the fourth time, turning in his usual 5 WAR effort, and winning his third Silver Slugger. He also has five post-season series MVP nods, and although it's not really "a thing" I'll go old-school and say he's one of the best clutch hitters in the league today.

Starting Pitching. Really the unit that carried us through much of the summer until our team hitting came around. Ace Matt Waugh was great, although more of an A+ than his usual A++. He's 30 now, so who knows what the future holds; but he won his fifth straight Cy Young and second title with us, so he's been worth every penny of his huge contract. John Loeb finished his second season as a solid #2, and at 29 I hope he's got a few more years of that in him. Afther those two we did struggle to find consistency. Josh Irvin fell off the table, winding up in the bullpen by August. He found his form in long relief, and despite his awful ERA and high BABIP, his better-looking FIP and some improved K and BB rates bode well for a return to form. Rookies Christensen and Shinnick rounded out the opening day rotation: the former pitched poorly and wound up in AAA, while the latter pitched well but still ended up back in AAA on rehab. Filling in, Croft started strong but faded badly as the season wore on. We also tried hopeful Will McGee, RP Manny Reyes and OF Erik Bennetsen, both of whom made one good start and a handful of bad ones. Ultimately, we traded for old hand Mike Bader, who was more than solid down the stretch. Going into '58, I expect a top four of Waugh, Loeb, Bader (re-signed!), and Irvin, and a fight between Christensen, Shinnick, and Croft for the fifth spot. Maybe McGee too.

Bullpen. Closer Nate Kearns was solid again, although he did have a couple of shaky stretches during mid-season. He's in his 30s now, and although still solid, I'll have to decide if I keep sending him to arbitration, or take a chance on a longer-term but more expensive contract. Reyes and Mayer were the usual setup men, with Mihalkovsky getting time here too. All were solid in an "if I'm not thinking about them they must be doing fine" way. We traded for vet John Starkey to fill out things, but he struggled enough to spend half the year in AAA, where he also struggled. Schechter didn't pitch much but was great when he did, and Zeolla was a deadline acquisition who was fine down the stretch but may be too expensive to bring back. This group will probably look much the same in '58, with the addition of free agent Rene Casuas, who missed the year after getting hurt in camp. It's possible a "failed" starter will get shuffled in here as well.

............

A close read of the above should reveal why this was such a trying season for me. Our expected (predicted by MLB) top AL offense was at the low-end of the top ten for much of the season, although we turned it on enough late to finish top-three in most categories. We were maddeningly inconsistent at times, getting outhit more often than not, and going through week-long stretches where we couldn't seem to get more than 3-4 runs and 5-8 hits in every game. So it was left to our pitching to carry us through past the All-Star break, until the team offense really jelled by August and we tore through the final two months of the season.

What does 2058 hold? Well, we're over budget, and despite making $62M in profit last year, I think our stingy owners are about to screw us over, budget-wise. Our salaries are a bit top-heavy, and we're now counting on several guys with long-term deals who are now at or past age 30 to not turn into millstones overnight. Our team defense was terrible, at the bottom in ZR and EFF, and probably contributed to the struggles guys like Irvin had on the mound. And probably our ultimate first-world problem is that, despite having the #1 ranked prospect system, it's top-heavy and there are some positions (C, 2b, 3b, OF, SP) where we have little to no depth at all. Our best hitting prospects are 1b/DH types, but you only get two of those in your lineup, right? So while I think we'll compete for another title in '58, I'm not going to answer the phone from the home office, and I'm going to worry about every little twinge that some of the older guys are surely due for...

[Bub13]

Our off-season, nutshelled:

1. Win World Series. Celebrate.
2. Meet with owners. They want: more profit, better defense, another title.
3. Accounting says we made $62M this season. Owners raise budget by $2M.
4. Screw profit, I'm handing out new salaries like candy.
5. We only add two free agents, at needed positions (see below).
6. Salaries for 2058 exceed our alloted budget. Excellent work by me. Owners unhappy.
7. Owners retaliate by cutting scouting and development budgets to bare bones.

That's right: we raked in the cash and our owners took almost all of it, knowing our salaries were going up anyway. And they want us to repeat as champs. Some odd math, that. So while I didn't really hand out new salaries like candy, I did re-sign some guys I was considering letting go, and then inked two free agents. Because I could.

First, we bolstered the pitching staff by keeping Mike Bader around, giving him $93M over 5 years, with an opt-out after next season ('59). I feel like this is a reasonable contract for a solid #3 starter, and if he keeeps his form from last year, it'll be well worth it. He's 29, so in no danger of aging out just yet. We then re-upped closer Nate Kearns for $46.8M over four years. At 32, he's a bit more of a risk, but he just keeps on producing for us. Plus, finding a comparable on the open market likely would have cost us at least as much. The final year of his deal is a team option.

No position players needed new deals, but we did keep everyone via arbitration and didn't get bit too hard by the mediator. (Now...next year may be a different issue, as the current estimate show our team salaries increasing by about $70M. Wow.)

And then we added two free agents. With an owner goal to improve our dreadful team defense, we made a deal with the Cardinals for a new center fielder. We sent OF/P Erik Bennetsen and SP Daniel Croft to STL for veteran Shawn Moore. Moore, 30, is a Gold Glove winner with some 20-25 HR pop, and good speed. He may not hit more than .240, but his plus defense in center should really help our pitchers. Bennetsen has been down offensively the last two seasons, and with other OF passing him on the depth chart, he became expendable. Croft really dropped off a cliff as last season wore on, and with Bader's re-signing, he became the odd man out.

Our other addition was in the bullpen, grabbing for Phillies MR Ezra Biniecki. A 6'6" groundballing power pitcher? Yes please.

......

Training camp was nice and quiet, although we did finish 15-15 after starting things off at 5-1. We had no significant injuries, and everyone starts the season healthy. (Only SP Juan Sais is out, and he was ticketed for AAA anyway. We may have to DFA him to get him to the minors once he's healthy, so he could be gone anyway, but I hope not.) If camp is any indication of how the season will play out, we may be in for a regular-season repeat of last year: lots of HR, but most guys hitting below their career AVG, and decent but occasionally sketchy pitching.

Regarding individual lineup decisions, there weren't any major surprises. Eric Sayward had a chance to be our #6 OF, and started hot, but stopped hitting at the halfway mark and ended up as the last cut. (IF Bobby Coronado made it in his place, but will most likely see more work as a PH than anything else.) SS and #1 MLB prospect Cris Flores didn't hit a lick, and was back in the minor league camp after a couple of weeks. He needs to stay healthy and have a decent year at the plate in AAA, where he'll start after playing last season in A ball. On the mound, the #5 SP race came down to Steve Shinnick vs Curt Christensen. Shinnick spent much of last year on the DL after a decent start to the season, while Christensen struggled in his rookie debut and saw more action in AAA. Both pitched well, but Christensen was lights out with an ERA around 1.30. I still have hopes he'll mature into a good 2 or 3 SP for us. In the pen, Rene Casaus looked really rusty after missing all of last season, and was optioned to the farm. No one claimed him, so he'll still be a possibility should injuries or ineffectiveness strike. (More on the roster below.)

......

According to MLB, both San Diego and Brooklyn "won" the off-season, each team adding 9.8 WAR to their respective rosters. The Padres made almost one-for-one swaps in the field, losing and gaining 3 OF and 2 1B/DH types, but added three solid veteran pitchers to an already decent staff. (Plus rookie South African RP Tyler Burn, who could be a 3-4 WAR reliever.) Brooklyn went more mound-heavy, adding seven solid pitchers (while losing just two), and only one hitter (interestingly, for ex-Padre CF Bob Armstrong). But they made an odd decision to send 5-WAR catcher Eduardo Beltran to Boston for a handful of middling prospects (plus scouting darling Ricky Morales, a 19-year-old OF who could become a monster in a few seasons). At the other end of the ladder, I can't be unhappy that the biggest loser looks like Texas, dropping over 15 WAR. They didn't lose many players, but did decline to re-sign their #1 SP and two-thirds of their starting outfield, while not replacing them at all. Washington was close, losing half their infield, two OF, and their C, while only adding a middling CF and a dime-a-dozen RP.

How about some crazy predictions from MLB? Here's one: they say that not only will we be the only team to win 90 games in the AL this season, we'll finish with 110 wins. 110! Best hitting? Check. Best pitching? Check. Glancing down at the NL predictions, I see zero teams predicted to win 90, and 11 to win at least 81 games. Such a bizarre flattening of predictions; I've never seen it this close together, and frankly I don't believe it. Time will tell, I guess. Your predicted division winners are MIA, KC, and HAW in the American, and NY, CIN, and ARI/LA (tied) in the National. DET, MIL, and PHI claim the extremely tight wildcard spots. Don't get me wrong, I'll take 110 wins...but I'm just not seeing it.

......

We again dominate the top of the prospects list, with nine players in the top 100. SS Cris Flores is again #1, with 3B Michael Coronel at #2. After them, it's OF David Machado (13th), IF Julio Cepin (21st), then all pitchers: Juan Sais (34th), David Ridenour (37th), Jaylen Hall (71st), Logan Barnett (72nd), and Will McGee (94th). The biggest movers here are Cepin and Ridenour. Cepin, who dropped from #2 overall, and has lost a bit of his lofty ceilings; he's nearly 18, and at this point he'll either stabilize and still be a top prospect, or continue to slide into the mists. Ridenour has made big strides the past year, enough to earn a jump from A to AAA for this season. He already looks good enough to be a back-end starter, and with a good year in Santa Barbara could even see a start or two in the bigs this summer.


2058 HAWAII ISLANDERS ROSTER

C Rich Wilson, 31, RH, .239/.304/.349, 284 AB, 3 HR, 0.7 WAR. Began '57 in a platoon with Collins, but started more frequently as the season wore on. Doesn't have the power of Collins, but is much better defensively. He's the opening day guy.

C Jamie Collins, 27, LH, .234/.288/.411, 282 AB, 11 HR, -0.8 WAR. Hasn't hit the way he hoped he'd develop, and is just adequate behind the plate. Streaky hitter, but just a little too streaky to play every day.

DH Jules Medici, 27, RH, .316/.390/.583, 630 AB, 45 HR, 5.2 WAR. Our offensive driver, although he tailed off late (down from .351 at the All-Star break).

1B Jose Villalpando, 22, RH, .302/.377/.430, 603 AB, 18 HR, 2.8 WAR. A fine first year garnered him enough votes for 2nd place in the ROY race. Still growing, and the converted 3B was a +5 ZR in the field.

2B Bill Gamboa, 25, RH, .241/.372/.414, 415 AB, 15 HR, 3.6 WAR. Played lights-out after a disastrous start and an early-season return to AAA. Doesn't have to be a star, just be solid all-around, with some power, speed (25 steals), and plus defense.

3B Jesus Calderin, 27, SH, .258/.302/.474, 527 AB, 26 HR, 1.5 WAR. Up-and-down at the plate, didn't really come around until late July. I actually expect more hitting from him this year; he might price himself out of town with our $$$ being tightly strapped these days.

SS J.J. Simmons, 35, RH, .306/.394/.392, 526 AB, 3 HR, 3.0 WAR. He's not dead yet! Fan favorite keeps plugging along, sparking the offense from leadoff, and also nabbing 44 steals. His only drawback right now is his negative defense at short and second. He's more suited to third, but Calderin's bat (and a lack of SS replacement) keeps him at short for now.

IF Bobby Coronado, 22, RH, .272/.316/.371, 353 AB, 1 HR, 0 WAR. Strong camp put him on the opening day roster. Will spell Calderin from time to time, and can also play some second. Speedy, but not a good runner (7-for-26 on the bases last year). No power, but a contact hitter, who led us with six triples last year. Not a long-term solution, but useful for now.

IF Alastair Hulse, 27, LH, .271/.340/.349, 255 AB, 1 HR, 1.2 WAR. Might get crabby with another year of not being a primary starter, but hopefully he'll remember his championship ring and get over it. Added 15 steals, and solid if unspectacular defense. Was one of the few guys hitting regularly early on when much of the offense struggled.

IF Jake Moore, 26, LH, .254/.360/.364, 118 AB, 1 HR, 0.1 WAR. Never became the stud SS he was pegged to grow into, but is a useful utility guy right now. If he hit 20-30 points higher I might keep him around for another decade.

LF Brian Hassell, 24, LH, .262/.347/.477, 367 AB, 19 HR, 0.9 WAR. Moving to left after a struggle in the field at center. MLB says he's going to have a breakout season at the plate, which would be just lovely. Added 15 steals. Left field should be a perfect fit for him.

CF Shawn Moore, 30, RH, .216/.283/.376, 529 AB, 21 HR, 2.0 WAR. (With STL) Our only new acquisition in the lineup. Should give us much better OF defense, which I'm hoping translates to some better pitching BABIP and just generally fewer enemy runners on base. He's not a high average hitter, but has some power and has been historically better than last year's numbers.

RF Kevin Reynolds, 26, RH, .246/.369/.519, 553 AB, 38 HR, 5.2 WAR. Had a down season at the plate, and still produced nearly 40 HR. He gets his average back up 30 to 40 points and he could be off the charts good this year. Solid defense, good team guy too. Very, very expensive, though, which we won't talk about right now...

OF Beau Collins, 23, LH, .252/.281/.523, 306 AB, 22 HR, 0.9 WAR. A solid part of last year's OF rotation, but will probably be more of a regular backup this year. Our CF backup, even though he's not good enough there for everyday work. Big power hitter but lacks discipline.

OF Jerey Hagemann, 24, LH, .281/.342/.510, 420 AB, 25 HR, 1.3 WAR. Could start, so he's nice to have around as insurance. Won't like not playing every day, but will have to be patient. Another guy with big power, but a bit better all-around than Collins.


SP Matt Waugh, 31, LH, 20-8, 2.76, 248 IP, 250 K, 7.9 WAR. Still is MR Do-Everything, winning yet another Cy Young with yet another top-notch effort. As long as we can keep rolling him out every five days, we'll be okay.

SP John Loeb, 29, LH, 18-8, 3.65, 212 IP, 209 K, 4.7 WAR. Now with two solid seasons as our #2 under his belt. My only concern with him right now is whether or not to extend him for big $$$ or to keep taking him to arbitration.

SP Mike Bader, 29, RH, 14-10, 3.70, 229 IP, 146 K, 4.0 WAR. Welcome back, Mike! Reacquired at the deadline, he was solid for us down the stretch, earning an extension in the fall. He'll slot in as the #3 guy to start the year.

SP Josh Irvin, 29, RH, 10-13, 5.32, 181 IP, 129 K, 2.0 WAR. Really struggled last year, but found a bit of a groove in long relief coming down the stretch. He's earned a return to the rotation with his experience, but the jury is definitely out on him right now.

SP Curt Christensen, 24, LH, 2-5, 5.04, 82 IP, 80 K, 1.6 WAR. Wasn't quite ready out of the gate last season, but returned late summer after a long stint in AAA and pitched better. A really strong camp has him installed at the #5 spot again, but Steve Shinnick was nearly as good in camp and will be our first recall if either of the bottom two starters here fail early.

CL Nate Kearns, 32, RH, 4-5, 38 SV, 2.99, 69 IP, 100 K, 2.6 WAR. Going into his fourth year as the de facto closer, and '57 was probably his best season yet. Earned a four-year extension too, which gets risky with a guy over 30, I know, but I couldn't just let him walk.

SU Justin Schechter, 32, RH, 3-1, 0 SV, 3.53, 36 IP, 54 K, 0.9 WAR. Only threw 35.2 innings, but was quietly effective. Only gave up 7 walks too.

SU Manny Reyes, 25, RH, 5-5, 1 SV, 4.54, 69 IP, 110 K, 1.1 WAR. Huge power pitcher, even made four mid-summer starts when our rotation was leaking oil. Was prone to the long ball (11 HR allowed) last year, which I hope goes down this year. Control still a little suspect, tho.

MR Ezra Biniecki, 30, RH, 2-0, 0 SV, 1.52, 24 IP, 35 K, 0.7 WAR. (With PHI) Our one pitching free agent. Philly underused him, frankly, but he was really good when he did get to the mound. Another big-stuff, high-movement, groundballer, that I love.

MR Gleb Mihalkovsky, 24, RH, 1-1, 0 SV, 2.90, 71 IP, 77 K, 1.1 WAR. Former starting prospect finally found a home in the pen. Did walk 3.5 per 9 IP, but kept his hits and HR allowed down. When you don't notice your middle relievers, you know they're having solid seasons. More, please.

MR John Starkey, 34, RH, 5-2, 0 SV, 6.00, 39 IP, 44 K, 0.1 WAR. Last year's free agent add didn't bring much, struggling early and earning a demotion in May. He was better upon returning, but will get another quick hook this year if he's slow out of the gate again. In the final year of his contract.

Injured: P Juan Sais, 25 -- still out for another month, after missing about half of '57. Still a prospect, but looking more like a quad-A type.

Close, next men up: SP Steve Shinnick, Will McGee; RP Brad Cahill, Joey Mayer; C Bentley Kolb; IF Jim Pfeifer; OF Jeremy Coffman, Eric Sayward
AAA kids to watch: SP David Ridenour; SS Cris Flores; OF Alex Maes

......

Ok, let's go! Our twenty-fifth season starts....NOW!

[Bub13]

What a crazy month. We started hot, 5-1, before dropping two out of three in Boston. Then... 16-2 over the next three weeks, including an 11-game winning streak, with series sweeps over KC, OAK, TOR, and TEX. To close out the month, we took two from the equally-hot Tigers.



Tops in MLB, leading the division by seven games already, and #1 in runs for and against. Even our team defense EFF, worst in the league last year, is 8th after this month. NO COMPLAINTS. And yet...



Not everyone is on the offensive train yet. While Brian Hassell looks like he's finally breaking out, new CF Shawn Moore isn't hitting much (although his defense has been excellent) and SS J.J. Simmons hasn't hit at all. Simmons was batting under .100 in the leadoff spot until I moved him to 9th after one week. And OF Jeremy Hagemann and Beau Collins haven't taken kindly to being purely off-the-bench guys, and are sulking.



No complaints about our pitching, either, although Loeb did start very slowly, and RP Shechter and Mihalkovsky got rocked in their first games before settling down. In the rotation, Waugh and Bader have been solid, Irvin has bounced back from his terrible '57, and Christensen is looking like the future top-end guy I hoped he'd show last year. Not sure why we've only used Biniecki for one inning so far, but it's still early.

ELSEWHERE for us: #1 prospect SS Cris Flores got injured--again--in his first AAA game, and missed most of the month. I worry about him.... SP Juan Sais finally came off the DL and began a rehab stint in AAA. Unless we suffer a number of SP injuries in the next 30 days, he'll have to be DFAd once he's done rehabbing, and we may just lose him....

......

LEAGUE NOTES: Disappointment abounds in the Bronx right now, as the Yanks sit dead last at 8-19 and have serious injuries to their ace, Nick Light, and last year's ROY, Rocky DeMars.... Also slumping early are MIN, LAD, ATL, and CIN, all expected to contend in their various divisions.... the Mets grabbed 35-year-old 1B Michael Rinehart off the free agent market, and he raked in April to the tune of 16 HR, on pace for 96.... Portland's Luis Avila no hit the Expos a week ago, winning 1-0 and allowing only one walk in the process.... Detroit's massively talented OF Roberto Gomez, an all-world five-tool guy when healthy, is once again on the DL. Since debuting in the Tigers system at 18 in 2051, he has only appeared in 50+ games in a season three times, and only once in more than 60 games.

[Bub13]

Could we continue April's insane .814 pace? No we could not. But how about a .714 month, going 20-8? Yeah, that'll do. After dropping four of six to open May, we went 16-4 the rest of the frame, including three four-game win streaks and winning the final five games of the month.

Offensively, we just keep hitting everything in sight. Nearly everyone got or stayed hot, outside of our RF replacements for the injured Kevin Reynolds, who missed the entire month. We piled up 48 more HR, and at the start of June lead the league in nearly every non-baserunning category. (We have 99 HR on the year; we've had seasons in the past where that would've been nearly 2/3 of the way to our entire year's output!)

Pitching was solid too, and we now sit at 3rd in runs allowed, but first in FIP and pitcher WAR. The rotation was a bit up and down, with Irvin and Bader regressing somewhat, and Christensen cooling off. But the bullpen rose up, allowing just 21 runs all month (in 75.1 IP) Our pitching has been greatly helped by our improved defense: 8th in defensive efficiency, and second in ZR. No one player is responsible for that improvement, and only SS J.J. Simmons in in the red, which is sad but unsurprising.

Our late surge in May has given us a 12.5 game lead over Houston, the only other team in the division over .500. At 42-13, we're five games clear of the Mets for first overall in MLB.

......

LEAGUE NOTES: The aforementioned Mets have opened an 11-game lead over Brooklyn in the NL East, and New Orleans leads the Cards by 5.5 in the Central. Every other division lead is under three games.... Arizona's Juan Lozano leads everyone with a .360 AVG, but suprisingly former Isles utility OF Jerry Cappuccilli (who last played for us in '51) sits second in the NL at .319. White Sox SS Steve Cox leads the junior circuit at .337.... With all teams at 54 or 55 games played, only two teams sit at 19 wins: the Yankees and Richmond.... Phillies strikeout whiz Conor MacLeod leads baseball with 106 whiffs, giving him 3296 for his career, 21st all-time. He should pass Justin Verlander and Phil Niekro sometime in July.... Houston Jason Knight started the year in the bullpen, getting promoted to the rotation in late April. He tossed MLB's second no-hitter of the season five days into the month, allowing just one walk in a 4-0 win over Baltimore.

COMING UP: Twenty-six games in June, twelve on the road. Plus, the draft in a week. We'll pick 25th, with no supplemental picks or extra selections elsewhere this year.

[reds1]

I've been slowly catching up on this (started with the most recent seasons). This is a terrific dynasty, Bub13! I love your summaries and your TL;DR too.

And a belated congratulations on your 2057 championship! If anyone was going to beat the Reds, I'm glad it was the Islanders.

[Bub13]

Originally Posted by reds1

I've been slowly catching up on this (started with the most recent seasons). This is a terrific dynasty, Bub13! I love your summaries and your TL;DR too.

And a belated congratulations on your 2057 championship! If anyone was going to beat the Reds, I'm glad it was the Islanders.

Thanks, I appreciate it! Glad you're enjoying the read. I probably need to go back and fix some of the images, though...

One day I'll go back to the old format (incl. the TL;DR), but for now I'm just too busy elsewhere to do more than the monthly recaps. I still try to find the odd (to me, at least) thing now and again.

[Bub13]

After "merely" going 20-8 (a .714 win pct, or ten points below our April pace) in May, we followed up that tragic part of our season with a June where we went ... 21-5. We now sit at the All-Star break with a 63-18 record and a divisional lead of 17.5 games. Seriously, just what is happening here?

It's crazy, but I'll just have to take it.

Anyway, we continue to not just fire on all cylinders, but to have borrowed engines from other teams so we could run ALL the cylinders. Offense? First in runs, AVG, OBP, OPS, HR, etc. Pitching? First in runs allowed, ERA, opp AVG, HR allowed. Even our defense continues to shine, up from near league-bottom last season to 4th in EFF and 1st in ZR.

You can see our stats for June below. To add to that, we have three guys (Villapando, Medici, and Hassell) who've already topped 20 HR. Pando and Hassell are 1-2 in AL batting and 2-1 in WAR, and Pando had a 23-game hit streak recently. (When that ended he promptly got a hit in 11 of his next 12.)

Pitching has kept up with the offense's hot play, too. The "worst" stat of that lot is the 2nd-ranked bullpen ERA, or perhaps it's our 7th-ranked place in walks allowed. Matt Waugh has--once again--been money, John Loeb is an insane 13-1, and Josh Irvin has already earned nearly twice the WAR he had all of last season.

The only duds in the fun times are--so far--not serious ones. JJ Simmons continues to decline, batting only .209 on the season and with negative defense at SS. Injuries have taken 3B Jesus Calderin from the lineup for 6 weeks, and limited Simmons and Bill Gamboa with dtd injuries these last two weeks.

Can we keep it up? Who knows, but by Gum I'm willing to try.

ELSEWHERE: the Mets haven't won 90 games since 2044, also the last time they made the post-season. So be happy for their 55-25 start, pulled along by the NL's best pitching and 4th-best offense. People who laughed when they signed 35-year-old 1B Michael Rinehart to a huge four-year deal over the winter have watched the team captain slug 36 HR to date. Not bad, not bad.... Speaking of resurgences, how about these division leaders: Tampa (73 wins last year), Cleveland (60!), and Portland (69). Cleveland in particular has come out of nowhere, given that they haven't won even 80 games in a season in over a decade.... Montreal is 30-50 and just fired their GM and their manager. If I were going to leave Hawaii, that is a sorry franchise I would love to try turning around. No money, no prospects, no hope. Either that, or I'll relocate them somewhere warm.... Two more no-hitters, bringing the season total to four. Austin's Danny Montalvo no-no'ed the Giants, allowing only three walks. Then San Diego's Jeff Cox pitched a perfect game against Richmond, fanning 15 while doing so. That's the 11th perfect game in this dynasty's history.... Atlanta's Andrew Taylor became the 43rd played to pass 2900 career hits. Given that the Braves are near the bottom of the AL East, and regular 1B Jason Ruffino is struggling, they should start Taylor every day and let him take a run at 3000.... Speaking of milestones, Tampa's Jose Taveras became the 11th batter to reach 600 HR earlier this year, and now sits at #8 all-time, with 622. He's three behing Miguel Cabrera, five from Griffey Jr. If he doubles the 23 he's hit this year, he'll be within range of Mays (660) and ARod (662) by year's end.