Arena Baseball League

[bestbrother]

Statistics

Kevin Gomes once again leads the charge as the league now looks toward its first .600 hitter. He topped both Tom Potter of Buffalo and Hartfords Dave Struble, with the latter also bringing home over 100RBIs in his best year since 2025.

Pitchers still struggle to exist in the current climate, strikeout numbers are way down with no one able to break the 50 barrier. A few still put up respectable stats, Gerber remains the leagues top closer and Dover still churn up a pitcher or 2 that surprises, but all in all, if you are a big fan of dominant hurlers... they rarely exist in the ABL.

[bestbrother]

One Game Shootout:

Buffalo Blast @ Richmond Liberty

A re-run of the World Series last year, saw Buffalo travel to Richmond in the hope they could be the team to stop their hosts dominance.

Going through the 8th inning they held a slender 2-1 lead as a tight battle had ensued all evening long. Yet Richmond did what they always do, stayed calm, picked up the baton and put the 3 winning runs on the board in the bottom of the inning to set themselves back on the way to hosting another World Series.

Buffalo will look back on 3 key errors that allowed Richmond to score the first run in the 8th, with their pitchers giving up just 1 earned. on the night.

Iowa Hogmen @ Hartford Dark Blues

They missed out on the playoffs last year in dramatic fashion but the reality for Iowa, is that they have been garbage ever since their debut in the leagues opening year.

This year they managed to sneak into the post season, more by luck than anything as their 35-37 record would have left them on the outside looking in should they have featured in the Stars Division.

Add in a trip to Hartford and that should have been it for the Hogs. Well... it wasnt and for the DBs they will look back on just not getting it done when they had runners on base, then rallying back to 5-5 from an 0-5 situation, before letting Iowa steal the win (literally) as a pair of stolen bags would setup Marcus Trujillo to drive in his 2nd run and the winner to stun Hartford.

[bestbrother]

Arena Baseball World Series

Iowa Hogmen @ Richmond Liberty

This shouldnt really happen in an ABL game, let alone the World Series. But tonight it did, everyone knew Richmond would win, lets be honest they are miles better than most teams, let alone the Hogs.

But in a sport designed for offense, the Iowa Hogmen were shutout by a stunning 2 man pitching effort as Fraticelli 7IP, 2H and Gerber 2IP 0H just stopped anything that Iowa tried to get going, setting up Richmond for a 4th straight World Series in a 5-0 romp.

The Liberty didnt need to strain themselves but would only score in 1 inning themselves, chasing Iowa Starter Juan Aguayo around the diamond for 5 runs in the 7th inning.

It was important for Iowa to get back to some sort of relevance in the ABL with rumours that they were due to relocate to Wyoming, but tonight wasnt the best light for them to shine in.

As for Richmond, they march on as the dynasty they all love to hate!

[bestbrother]

League News

ABL Overhaul

Expansion was the name of the game and once again the ABL was ready to move towards a larger setup than the current 8 teams. This time the plan was to expand to 12, adding 4 new franchises and further expanding the scope of the league.

This expansion proposed to be more dramatic than before. From a 2 division setup, the proposal would see the league split into 2 Conferences of 6 teams, each Conference would host 2x3 team divisions. This new format would separate old rivals and the hope was to give more teams a chance to breakthrough and compete with those existing at the top of the ABL food-chain.

The league would compose of the newly formed Stars Conference and Stripes Conference. They would then divulge into 2 divisions each, based on location. East and North in the Stars Conference, with Central and South in the Stripes Conference.

Each of the newly awarded franchises would place into a different division, of the original 8 interested parties, 2 dropped out early, with Baltimore still not able to commit and Wyoming conspicuous by their absence with the Iowa rumours still going strong.

Hamilton were given a franchise, confirming the Canadian aspect of the ABLs plans, as they are likely to feature with Ottawa and Montreal in a new 3 team division.

The remaining franchises were awarded to Detroit, Fayetteville and Kentucky, as Cincinnati missed out due to last minute financial issues as their prominent backer dropped out.



Hamilton Crazies
Home - 4000 seat, Crazy House



Detroit Mustangs
Home - 9500 seat, Ford Arena



Fayetteville Freedom
Home - 3500 seat, Fayetteville Superdome



Kentucky GeeGees
Home - 5500 seat, Louisville Arena

The next update will include the new league setup, schedule and other changes to the ABL.

[bestbrother]

League News

With 4 new teams comes a new look for the ABL. First off the biggest change will see the league split into 2 Conferences. This will bring the sport alongside the other Major leagues in North America and hopefully adds to its validation as a relevant entity.

The change will see the break up of the 'original six' but will hopefully bring rivals together and put an onus on owners to try and compete rather than just get by.

One major bit of news coming out of the ABL is that the expansion will now come in 2031/32, a year later than planned. This is to allow all 4 teams to put into place their on and off field structure, whilst also giving the current ABL franchises, a chance to adjust to the future climate.

The ABL new look:

Stars Conference

East Division
Hartford Dark Blues
Buffalo Blast
Fayetteville Freedom *NEW*

North Division
Montreal Maroons
Ottawa Black Caps
Hamilton Crazies *NEW*

Stripes Conference

Central Division
Chicago Crush
Iowa Hogmen
Detroit Mustangs *NEW*

South Division
Richmond Liberty
Dover Dukes
Kentucky GeeGees *NEW*

With the expanded number of teams and new split, obviously comes a new schedule. The proposal is for 94 games to be played, an increase of 22 on the current format. There is concern that this may be too long a season and could tire the fans, as the timing heads closer to the MLB Spring Training dates.

However the financial benefits of a longer season are needed both to satisfy the new TV deal, as well as owners who are facing every increasing payroll bills with players becoming more aware of their value.

Finally, the playoffs! Now this has often been a bone of contention, the one and done format has caused contention between those that enjoy the drama of a final all wrapped up in 1 game and those more traditional sports fans who prefer the longer format, to allow both teams to play infront of their home fans.

The ABL has confirmed that the OGS and World Series will stay as they are, with only the division winners making it, but being housed in their Conference before the World Series.

Other points to note that the ABL will make statements on in the future are:

• ABL All Star Game (Conference vs Conference)
• ABL-PA (Players Union)

[bestbrother]

The Off-Season

Hirings/Firings

He came in with a huge reputation for turning the Dark Blues into one of the best franchises in the league, yet his 3 year stint in Montreal came to a close this off-season after just 63 wins in 3 years at the helm of the Maroons.

Pedro Partida had attempted to put together a roster on a budget as the Maroon ownership never really committed to going all in on the available veterans and as such, Partida never implemented his approach fully and has now parted ways with the Canadians.

Another change came at Chicago as the Crush decide to take a new direction with the dismissal of Keon Henderson as manager. Henderson had overseen 3 playoff appearances in the opening 4 years of the ABL, including a World Series. Yet since then its been fairly miserable with just one winning season and alot of money spent on failure.

Excitingly and probably planned, the Crush immediately appointed former DBs Skip' Bobby Childress as their new manager. Childress brings in a raft of experience and a winning mentality as Chicago hope to finally ignite the city.

Awards

Arena MVP - Kevin Gomes (Richmond Liberty)

Back to back MVP awards for Gomes as Richmond cleaned up on the awards. He hit .546, bashed in 87 runs on a career high 197 hits and 4.9 WAR. At 26 he is likely to be at the forefront of Richmond for a long time to come.

Arena Pitcher of the Year - Casey Gerber (Richmond Liberty)

Arguably the best pitcher in league history (though Hostetler fans may argue), Gerber put together 10 saves, won 4 games and pitched to a 2.59ERA as he underpinned another Championship in Richmond.

He gave up just 42 hits this year from 48.2IP and although his 38Ks was his worst since his debut year in2024, there is little doubt if Gerber hits the mound the game is over.

Arena Skipper of the Year - Jonathan Gonzales (Richmond Liberty)

56-16, a 4th straight World Series there is little more you can say about Gonzales. He has created a dynasty in Richmond and deserves all the superlatives thrown his way.

Draft

The year of the pitcher? Maybe teams are catching on to the fact that there is talent out there.. yet all 5 came in the 2nd round as teams are still chasing that production from the hitters box.

Trades / FA Agency

Maybe its desperation, maybe its the new market, but Ottawa shattered the record for the highest paid player in the league, going all in on Outfielder Kyle Phelps. Yeah your guess is as good as mine, Phelps (34), barely mustered 50RBIs per year for the Crush in his 6 years in the league. He has a career WAR of 3.1, so potentially he could have an impact, but at 34 and a guaranteed 4 year deal, its a big gamble for the Black Caps.

It wasnt long until that was broken, not for a signing, but a re-signing as Casey Gerber re-upped in Richmond, becoming the first ever $1,000,000 man in the ABL as he inked a 6 year package (that includes a player opt-out) with the Liberty. His $190,000 salary dwarfs many in the league and could well lead the way in to how superstars will be rewarded down the line.

[bestbrother]

The Season that was 2029/30:

La Decima

Il Decimo, a decade in and the ABL has thrived and is already looking to the future as 8 will soon become 12. For now and for the next year the current 8 will try and stop Richmond further dominating, can a change happen before 'the change'?

Its all gone a bit...?

November was obscene, I mean individually somethings happened on the field that we hadnt seen before. First off Jonathan Chapel hit 2 home runs, the first player to race home for more than 1 in a season. On top of that, Dover chewed out 4, 4 in a month! The pace of the Dover offense is currently scary.

In terms of the early standings, Ottawa topped the Stars Division by a game, but the usual suspects in Buffalo and Hartford were well involved as only Montreal with a meagre 7 wins looked doomed once more.

Expectations met reality again in over in the Stripes. Richmond had the leagues best record at 19-8, whilst Childress looked to immediately change the fortunes of Chicago as they tucked in behind at 16-11.

Give it to me December....

This is becoming shambolic, a league record 33 straight losses and its no guesses that Montreal are now the holder of such a record. Their miserable existence continues as not a single win was chalked up for the Maroons in December as they are holding a laughable 7-49 record.

Ottawa and Hartford look the likeliest to come out of the division, as Buffalo slumped late in the month and would need a big January to usurp either for a playoff place.

We dont need to mention Richmond much, yes they are 41-15 and going into the new year all but division winners once more. Behind them, well Childress has got something going as the Crush also turned the calendar in a healthy spot.

Dover in the meantime looked dead, but did put up another home run, theres something about those Dukes that may well turn deadly once they put it all together.

The Run!

In many ways it was probably the most exciting thing as the regular season come to a close and yes the run continued. What run? Montreals. The Maroons finished on a stinking 49 game losing streak, winding up with a 7-65 record and what can only be described as pure apathy and disgust from their supporting public (2 wins at home will do that to you!)

At the business end of each division, Ottawa eased to a division crown, whilst Buffalo snuck past a wobbling Hartford, edging in at .500. Richmond also secured yet another title, winning 52 to top the Stripes Division, whilst Chicago collected 45 in their first year under Childress.

Miscellaneous

Kevin Gomes lit it up leading the way with a league record 142 RBIs, followed by teammates Gill and Healey, as the Liberty led the way with over 1000 runs scored. This all tallied to keep the league on its course of 10rpg.

Attendances held firm this year, even the Maroons drew over 100,000 somehow. Chicago saw the best net increase as excitement is abound the Crush as Childress may well ignite the leagues biggest market.

Financially the ABL is beginning to reward its players. Only Montreal and Dover had salary rolls under $1,000,000 as more and more money leaves the owners pockets.

[bestbrother]

Statistics

Its all about Kevin Gomes as he easily continues to be the scariest player at the plate, smashing an incredible 142 runs across the plate as he continues to stack up the numbers and drive Richmond forward.

As mentioned this season was the highest ever for Home Runs, Dover scored 5, with Chapel a pair in a unique occurrence in league history. In total the league saw 8 inside the parkers!

Veteran Bill Wolfe would have a career year at age 34. He has been a stable part of the Liberty pitching staff, yet this year came up with the goods, leading the league in both ERA and Strikeouts. His performance helped temper the loss of Casey Gerber for 3 months from the Liberty pen.

[bestbrother]

One Game Shootout:

Buffalo Blast @ Richmond Liberty

It almost happened, infact it came down to the final outs of the night.. Richmond were 2-1 behind, thanks to a stellar pitching effort from Buffalos Dave Paulino, but once again their experience and quality would tell in the clutch.

The Liberty would have to thank unusual sources for their victory tonight. Not only did 34 year old pitcher Bill Wolfe start in the outfield, he would also drive in a key run, whilst also coming home as the winning run as Linares capped the comeback for a 3-2 squeaker.

Chicago Crush @ Ottawa Black Caps

In the other OGS, Chicago got off to a great start (4 runs in the opening frame), only to go shy after that as Ottawa responded with 5 of their own in the 5th, before rattling off another nap to see off the revitalised Crush 10-4.

Childress has turned Chicago around but even his magic couldnt change things here try as he might. In the end Ottawa, led by Josh Phelps (remember him) would puncture Chicago hearts and establish the Black Caps back amongst the World Series picture.

[bestbrother]

Arena Baseball World Series

Ottawa Black Caps @ Richmond Liberty

Copy, Paste... yeah that means what we all know, Richmond have won it all again! Thats an incredible 5 on the spin and the Liberty are becoming almost unstoppable.

Once again they came from behind, scoring 5 in the 7th and 8th combined to put down the Black Caps. Ottawa had led as Josh Phelps (shows how much I know) drove in a pair, but it would never be enough as the Liberty led by Linares 4-5 1RBI 3R (Game MVP) made sure of victory.

Veteran outfielder and league journeyman Gary Dodd had his finest moment, driving in 3 of the Liberty runs, whilst the names of Javier Fraticelli collected another WS win and Casey Gerber finished off his injury ravaged year with a 2IP, 4K save.

[bestbrother]

ABL-PA

Bring in the Union, its not something that the league wanted but it was to be expected. 10 years of succesful ABL play, a 100% expansion of the league in the offing and revenues going up from TV and gate. It was a matter of time before the players decided they want and need protection.

To that extent veteran players decided to put in place the action to begin the Arena Baseball League Players Association. The ABL-PA will be there to mediate on behalf of the players in all matters, but more importantly put together a comprehensive health insurance package and give the players a united voice on pay and conditions.

The immediate challenge for the PA is to increase the minimum salary cap. Currently set at $30,000 (an increase of $7500 since the leagues debut) is well below what players believe is acceptable. With 72 games (increasing to 94 after expansion) the players are putting alot in for their relative teams. Couple that will the fact that teams only carry 15 players on their active roster, there is a tendency for teams to stick close to the minimum as the players market is fairly competitive.

Inaugural player representative, 41 year old Alfredo Carcamo (former ABL MVP & current Ottawa Black Cap) has stated his desire to get that minimum rate up to at least $40,000 guaranteed. On top of that the PA is already progressing on a full health insurance package that will ensure players will be covered by this even when their contracts end whilst injured.

More details are likely to follow, with the first major meeting between the ABL owners and the ABL-PA to be conducted in the following off-season before the league expands.

[bestbrother]

The Off-Season

Awards

Arena MVP - Kevin Gomes (Richmond Liberty)

An incredible year for Gomes and there is very little left for him to prove. He hit about .500 once more, but importantly shattered the RBI record in the ABL with 142, coming in at almost 2 per game. Its well deserved and puts him in place for a big payday this off-season.

Arena Pitcher of the Year - Bill Wolfe (Richmond Liberty)

'2-way' Bill Wolfe did all he could to make on of his final years in the league the best it could be. He pitched well enough to help the Liberty cover the loss of Casey Gerber, before then driving in one of the key runs in the World Series, playing out in Right Field. 34 year old Wolfe deserves this memory.

Arena Skipper of the Year - Jonathan Gonzales (Richmond Liberty)

Lets put this mans career into numbers so far, 7 years a manager, 6 World Series appearances, 5 straight Championships, 309-171 regular season record. At 43 there is plenty of gas in his tank which is a huge worry for the rest of the league should he remain at Richmond!

Draft

Trades / FA Agency

2020 Arena MVP Willie Gonzalez finally gives up the ghost in Iowa, he was the face of the franchise for the Hogmen but at 33 takes a change of scenery as he signs probably his final big payday in a move to Ottawa. With over 500RBIs, 50+ triples and 120SB he is known for his speed but will that last as his years progress.

One of the biggest deals saw Ryan Gill leave Richmond. The 34 year old penned a 1 year deal with the Liberty and soon established himself with well over 100RBIs and proved to be a key part of the Championship run.

Yet the Liberty were priced out of keeping Gill as Chicago came in with a 3year $184,000 per annum package. Bobby Childress continues to try and build a team to go one step further.

[bestbrother]

[bestbrother]

The Season that was 2030/31:

Remember the 8!

Here we are, our final year of 8 teams as we head into the 11th season of ABL life. The Richmond Liberty have dominated the 8-team era with 5 straight titles, could they clean up the last of those before we move into a Conference system and wholesale change?

Montreal Winner'oons

OK its a bit dramatic but the opening month saw Montreal double last years tally of wins and infact come out with a 15-13 record. An incredible turnaround for the franchise, yet they still trailed both Buffalo and Ottawa by 2 games. December will be an interesting month for sure.

Across the way in the Stripes Division, we already have a division winner... Richmond are strutting around the field and at 25-3 have a 15 game lead on the 10-18 Dukes. The honeymoon for Bobby Childress at the Crush has already ended as his team are 7-21 and along way off last years effort.

All to play for...

Well it is in the Stars Division, Montreal have fallen away as at 23-34 December was unkind to them and left them 6 games out of a playoff apperance. Above them the Black Caps slumped to an 8 win month, whilst Hartford and Buffalo just peaked above .500 as they battled it out for the final Stars Division crown.

As before, Richmond carried on rolling. It got tougher, but at 45-12 they could easily beat out the best ever regular season record in the run in. Dover and Iowa at 28-29 had playoff hopes in their eyes, whilst Chicago would win 14 in the month, but had a 7 game mountain to climb in the new year.

Who made it?

Richmond obviously waltzed their division, for a 5th banner in 6 years. They were joined by Dover who went 8-2 to end the year and edge out Iowa who would rue a 5 game losing skid to wind up 3 games outside the playoffs.

The Stars Division was alot closer, Buffalo came up with the only winning record in the division, thanks in part to a 6 game streak to put them at 38-34, giving them their first ever Division banner.

Behind them it couldnt have been tighter as Ottawa and Hartford tied at 35-37, with the Canadians squeaking by on a better head-to-head record. This leaves the DBs without post-season play for a 2nd straight year and along way off expectations at the franchise.

Miscellaneous

Run numbers are down! Not what the league wanted to hear as a new era and TV deal are kicking into action. We are well below the 10pg rate, maybe a sign that pitching is beginning to play a more prominent part of the ABL.

Attendances also dropped, both Iowa and Chicago shed almost 30000 in annual attendance, whilst Ottawa saw a significant drop. Montreal did see an increase as the team started to win, but the league suffered an overall 10% down tick in paying attendance.

Payrolls are also on the decline. Its going to be an issue as the ABL-PA kicks into gear looking to put together a CBA with the league, but with Dover spending just north of $500,000 on their roster and half the teams under the $1,000,000 mark, owners are clearly cutting their cloth before expansion hits.

[bestbrother]

Statistics

Kevin Gomes still hangs around the top of the leaderboards, but as per the drop in overall production, his 140+ RBI season stalled this year to just 80 (good for 3rd). Danny Solano another former MVP topped that chart with 99, whilst Buffalo also saw Aaron Pottorff tie up with Gomes for best BA at .514.

Pitchers got a bit more love this year, strikeout numbers were on the up, Gerber collected 61 as he returned from injury and even started 7 times for the Liberty as they tried a change of pace (he did also collect 11 saves).

Richmond may have also found a new stud in 20 year old Venezuelan Arturo Calderon. His debut year saw him go 11-1 with a 3.94ERA. If Calderon can improve on his 33BBs, chances are there is another gem in the Liberty staff for the league to be scared of.

[bestbrother]

One Game Shootout:

Ottawa Black Caps @ Richmond Liberty

It was 7-1 through the 4th inning and the reality was that was all she needed to write. Richmond as always have got and had too much for anyone, even the perennial challenging Ottawa. Picos starred for the Liberty with a 4RBI effort from the middle of the order, whilst Calderon started in the post-season and would collect the win after a strong 5.2IP, giving up 2ER with 3K.

There was a sad day for 42 year old Alfredo Carcamo. One of the old boy stalwarts of the league who may well retire and focus on his role with the ABL-PA, his final game may be an 0-5 outing in the loss.

Dover Dukes @ Buffalo Blast

A high scoring encounter saw the Blast come out on top by 14-8 as the teams shared 31 hits through the night. Both teams believed at one stage they would come out on top, Dover had scored 7 of their 8 in the opening frames, but Buffalo roared on by a sellout Blast Arena, would score 8 through the 7th and 8th innings, led by Adrian Dashner with his 4-5, 4RBI night.

[bestbrother]

Arena Baseball World Series

Buffalo Blast @ Richmond Liberty

3rd time lucky for Buffalo? Well nope sadly its not as they look to match the Bills with futility in Championship games. The Blast did hold a lead thru 4, thanks to a mammoth 7 run inning as they chased Liberty starter 23y/o Mike Kates from the mound.

Sadly for the Blast all that did was trigger the Richmond bullpen and ignite their offense, as 8 of the 9 in the lineup drove in runs, led by Corey Milliorn as the former Crush Catcher, went 5-5 with 5RBIs as he hit a double and a triple on a fantastic night.

Its now the 6th straight title for Richmond and they finish off the 8-team era winning every Championship on offer.

[bestbrother]

Try not to post off topic in here too much, but im grateful for the 1000 views! Means alot that people are following in their own way, I appreciate its not the most indepth or MLB specific story, but im enjoying the little world and hope that comes across in my updates.

Thanks to all that have checked in and hope ive given you something to enjoy reading

[bestbrother]

The Off-Season (Part 1)

Hirings/Firings

Well it was sweet for a year, but time waits for no man and thats Bobby Childress as the Crush bail out on another project as they still chase a dream that is turning fast into a nightmare.

Rumours at an early stage suggest Chicago have their full attention on the Ottawa Batting Coach, Dennis Baxter. It will be a huge swing in focus and something they need to get right as expansion hits the ABL.

Awards

Arena MVP - Kevin Gomes (Richmond Liberty)

Kevin Gomes the monster of the ABL once again earns the league MVP award. Gomes tailed off from last years record numbers but still hit for over .500 (3rd year on the spin), whilst his 80RBIs now brings him to 579 career for 7th all time and climbing.

Arena Pitcher of the Year - Jason Hulbert (Buffalo Blast)

He may have suffered disappointment in the World Series but Jason Hulbert came up trumps by winning his first ABL Pitcher of the Year award in his first year in the league. Hulbert not known for striking out opponents, did put up an impressive 9-3 record with a 3.33ERA. He held his opponents to a .316AVG and although he debuted at 28, the Blast will hope he can be a staple to their staff for years to come.

Arena Skipper of the Year - Jonathan Gonzales (Richmond Liberty)

'Jo-Go' once more and its now a case of whether Richmond can continue to thrive in the new ABL as the Liberty will battle with Dover and Kentucky in the newly formed Stripes Conference South Division. Gonzales has now moved joint with Ottawas Gary Bush as the all time win leader as a Manager, with 363 (done in 3 years less than his Black Cap counterpart).

[bestbrother]

The Off-Season (Part 2)

The Expansion Draft

4 new teams, 4 new rosters to fill as the existing 8 franchises had to tag and protect 10 of their key players for the 20 round expansion draft. There will be winners and losers as the future of the new ABL teams will begin today.


Hamilton Crazies

The Crazies had a plan and seemed to pull it off, picking up valuable experience and quality led by 2027 ABL Pitcher of the Year Matt Bond, who the Dukes decided to put out there instead of trying to renew his contract.

Hamilton also picked up Matt Denzer, a 500+ RBI hitter who led the league 3 years ago with 106 whilst with the Blast. Denzer played for the Hogmen last year, but resumes his $162,000 contract with Hamilton.

Their final big deal saw Bill Wolfe make the jump from Richmond. Wolfe at 35 is at the tail end of a career that saw him play a vital role on the mound and at the plate for the Liberty. He now moves to Hamilton for a payday that will set him up for his eventual retirement.


Detroit Mustangs

Detroit didnt really excel in their expansion draft and only really added a pair of veteran outfielders to their mixed bag. Gary Dodd, the 37 year old had produced in the past 2 seasons with Richmond, but his numbers dropped last time out and he is unlikely to see them tick upwards in Detroit.

Josh Phelps also becomes a Mustang. Phelps pitched up in Ottawa with an infamous contract, so much so that although he hit 50+ RBIs in his 2 years with the Black Caps, they were happy to let another team eat the remainder of his deal.


Fayetteville Freedom

The Freedom focused on pitching and have drafted a bunch that are scouted highly but yet to really produce that on gameday, with 21y/o Robby Hoogeveen (ex-Richmond) arguably the best selected.

Other notables saw Aparicio (Montreals big expansion day deal) move to Fayetteville, yet his was near useless with the Maroons. Whilst 1B Tom Potter surprisingly leaves Buffalo after 10 years in which he bashed in 547RBIs for the Buffalo club.


Kentucky GeeGees

Jason Roybal is the first star for the GG's as he leaves Dover after his 2nd place in the ABL Pitcher of the Year voting. Roybal posted a 3.04ERA after years being known for eating innings. Kentucky will hope he continues along that trajectory rather than slipping off toward his current career 5.70ERA number.

Another Buffalo stalwart also got plucked away in this years expansion draft as Adrian Dashner moves on to Kentucky. Dashner impressed in 2029 with a career best 79RBIs, but struggled last time out due to injuries restricting him to just 36 starts.