Stealofhome's Fictional Feeder Leagues and MLB Extravaganza

[spleen1015]

Looking forward to seeing how Spinner does in your league.

[stealofhome]

I know this is a fictional thread, but I can't help think about the history of the real MLB as I play these earlier years - it would be interesting to play a true historical league to learn some of this stuff. Anyway, I've been reading a few key highlights of each year at the Baseball Almanac.

[stealofhome]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Looking forward to seeing how Spinner does in your league.

Not great so far. He played one game in the majors and got sent back down to AAA. The Yankees have Mike Goodale in RF (named to 6 top 100 lists himself) so they must be giving Spinner a chance to get to his potential in the minors.

[stealofhome]

MLB Career Milestones:
Luis Salgado, Phillies - 1000K
Jody Davidson, Boston Red Sox - First player to 1,500 career hits. The league opened when he was 28, so he may have missed a few years of gathering stats. However, he is still a high contact, good fielding 3B with a good chance at the Hall of Fame.
Juan Navarro, Florida Marlins - 1500 Hits
Yun-ho Chun, Texas Rangers - 200 Triples

No-Hitters/Perfect Games:
Nathan Trump, East Carolina Pirates, NCAA - 7K, 1BB
Ty Kahn, Conley Vikings, NCHSAA - 1K, 8BB
Leo Rainwater, Lovett Lions, GHSA - 3K, 3BB

15+ Strikeout Games:
Roderick St. Pierre, Pine Bush Bushmen, NYSPHSAA - 18 K

6+ Hit Games:
Brayan Aiba, Hartford Yard Goats, AA
Marcus Cook, Baylor Bears, NCAA
Ledley Munguia, Jupiter Warriors, FLHSAA

3+ HR Games:
Santiago Verduzco, Inland Empire 66ers, A+

Cycles:
Nic Wiener, Washington State Cougars, NCAA
Gareth Marrocos, Limestone Rockets, IHSA

Hitting Streaks Ended:
Cris Hood, Cal State Fullerton Titans, NCAA - 25 G
Emilio Lemus, Mayfield Trojans, NMAA - 39 G
Lemus' streak was happening at the same time as Casper's last year but Lemus was only 15 at the time and so the streak continued into the following year.
Andy Day, Georgia Bulldogs, NCAA - 26 G
Diego Ortiz, Springfield Millers, OSAA - 26 G
Chris Thieman, Frisco RoughRiders, AA - 25 G
Gene Karas, Down East Wood Ducks, A+ - 28 G
Benedicto Toledo, Archbishop Molloy Stanners, NYSPHSAA - 41 G
Finn Conner, Virginia Cavaliers, NCAA - 25 G
Levi Spaulding, Austin Maroons, TUIL - 28 G
Mumbles Bias, El Dorado Aztecs, TUIL - 31 G

[stealofhome]

Oregon State's Tomas Reed is the top draft prospect this year. He's a SS, possible 2B with incredible contact and power.

The number one high schooler is Owen Clodfelter who can cause more than a few balls to feel clobbered.

The best pitcher in the draft is Curtis Adams. He was drafted 9th overall last year out of Rice but did not sign with the Blue Jays.

[stealofhome]

NCAA
Champion: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
MVP: Gines Turner, Alabama Crimson Tide
Top Pitcher: Joe Cobb, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
Top Reliever: Mason Arellano, St Johns Red Storm

California
Champion: El Capitan Vaqueros
MVP: Mel Collins, Elk Grove Thundering Herd
Top Pitcher: Troy Moore, Huntington Beach Oilers
Top Reliever: Marcus Tanti, El Capitan Vaqueros

Florida
Champion: Naples Golden Eagles
MVP: Yasushi Nishimoto, Plant Panthers
Top Pitcher: Julian Valdez, Apopka Blue Darters
Top Reliever: Justin Redfern, Osceola Kowboys

Georgia
Champion: Jefferson Dragons
MVP: Jeff Nolasco, Buford Wolves
Top Pitcher: Norman Litt, Jefferson Dragons
Top Reliever: Dustin Richards, Walton Raiders

Illinois
Champion: Teutopolis Wooden Shoes
MVP: Quinell Taylor, Teutopolis Wooden Shoes
Top Pitcher: M.L. Morgan, Teutopolis Wooden Shoes
Top Reliever: Titus Falls, Teutopolis Wooden Shoes

New York
Champion: Tappan Zee Dutchmen
MVP: Johnathan Craft, Pine Bush Bushmen
Top Pitcher: Tom Paden, Sachem East Flaming Arrows
Top Reliever: Joel Casanova, Sachem East Flaming Arrows

New Mexico
Champion: Sandia Matadors
MVP: Clark Skladanay, Cleveland Storm
Top Pitcher: Camden Felder, Hobbs Eagles
Top Reliever: Mark Townsley, Carlsbad Cavemen

North Carolina
Champion: Southern Guilford Storm
MVP: Charlie Kiyota, Southern Guilford Storm
Top Pitcher: Isaac Wikle, South Mecklenburg Sabres
Top Reliever: Ronan Monaghan, Pinecrest Patriots

Oregon
Champion: Central Catholic Rams
MVP: Tim Scott, Central Catholic Rams
Top Pitcher: Tim Scott, Central Catholic Rams
Top Reliever: Jared Patton, Jesuit Crusaders

Texas
Champion: The Woodlands Highlanders
MVP: D.J. Leverton, Weatherford Kangaroos
Top Pitcher: Nolan Molnar, Weatherford Kangaroos
Top Reliever: Esteve Cruz, Reagan Rattlers

Wisconsin
Champion: Denmark Vikings
MVP: Steven Kulak, St Marys Central Zephyrs
Top Pitcher: Steven Kulak, St Marys Central Zephyrs
Top Reliever: Dominic Welch, McFarland Spartans

[stealofhome]

Injury News:
Celio Cabedo was diagnosed with a partially torn labrum and will miss 4 months. He was pitching well still this season, but this will end his 8-year run as an All-Star and his 6-year run as the AL Pitcher of the Year.

MLB Career Milestones:

No-Hitters/Perfect Games:
George Wahl, Frederick Keys, A+ - 10K, 4BB
Mike Richter, San Francisco Giants, MLB - 8K, 0BB, 2ERR
Richter is another pitcher that has been overshadowed by Cabedo and Avila. He has 1303 strikeouts in 278 career starts over his career, with only 556 walks.

15+ Strikeout Games:

6+ Hit Games:
Raymond Vickers, Pittsburgh Panthers, NCAA
Joey Sigrist, Stanford Cardinal, NCAA

3+ HR Games:
Trevor Salisbury, Louisville Bats, AAA

Cycles:
Sammy Santos, Northwest Arkansas Naturals, AA
Jody North, Columbia Fireflies, A
Murdoch Joelson, Asheville Tourists, A

Hitting Streaks Ended:
Hobert Hendershot, Charlotte Stone Crabs, A+ - 30 G

[stealofhome]

Again the top players match up quite closely with the initial draft pool analysis.

Tomas Reed is first overall,

Owen Clodfelter is the top high school player

Curtis Adams is the top pitcher.

The Dbacks picked 3rd because they failed to sign last year's pick. Clodfelter has yet to sign as well.


Round 1, Pick 1 - Minnesota Twins: SS Tomas Reed, age 21
Round 1, Pick 2 - Tampa Bay Devil Rays: 3B Zach Leyland, age 21
Round 1, Pick 3 - Arizona Diamondbacks: 1B Owen Clodfelter, age 18
Round 1, Pick 4 - Houston Astros: RF Josiah Sittig, age 18
Round 1, Pick 5 - Cleveland Indians: 1B Cris Hood, age 21
Round 1, Pick 6 - Milwaukee Brewers: SP Curtis Adams, age 22
Round 1, Pick 7 - Los Angeles Angels: 3B Seiji Katayama, age 18
Round 1, Pick 8 - Atlanta Braves: SS Kendrick Kalamari, age 21
Round 1, Pick 9 - Baltimore Orioles: SS J.R. Smith, age 21
Round 1, Pick 10 - Toronto Blue Jays: SP Johnny Portrey, age 21
Round 1, Pick 11 - Cincinnati Reds: RF Dylan Mitchell, age 21
Round 1, Pick 12 - Los Angeles Dodgers: 3B Danny Hurst, age 21
Round 1, Pick 13 - New York Mets: SS Lane Mitchell, age 18
Round 1, Pick 14 - Arizona Diamondbacks: RF Jeremiah Moore, age 18
Round 1, Pick 15 - St. Louis Cardinals: C Leifur Jansson, age 21
Round 1, Pick 16 - Florida Marlins: 1B Mikey Van Voorhis, age 21
Round 1, Pick 17 - Montreal Expos: 2B Len Sutherland, age 18
Round 1, Pick 18 - Toronto Blue Jays: SP Ross Burke, age 21
Round 1, Pick 19 - Texas Rangers: 2B Quinell Taylor, age 18
Round 1, Pick 20 - San Francisco Giants: CL Mason Arellano, age 21
Round 1, Pick 21 - Chicago White Sox: CF Morris Edler, age 21
Round 1, Pick 22 - Pittsburgh Pirates: SP Alan Diederichs, age 22
Round 1, Pick 23 - Detroit Tigers: CF Gines Turner, age 21
Round 1, Pick 24 - Boston Red Sox: SP Alan Larsen, age 18
Round 1, Pick 25 - Chicago Cubs: CF Bennett Deal, age 22
Round 1, Pick 26 - Kansas City Royals: CL Caiden Sullivan, age 21

[stealofhome]

Injury News:
Steve Gardiner was diagnosed with a career-ending torn rotator cuff injury. He is only 33 years old and was on a Hall of Fame path, with a good final few years. He was a 5-time All-Star, pitched 30 shutouts and one no-hitter, was the player of the week 6 times, pitcher of the month twice, and was 2nd or 3rd in Pitcher of the Year three times.

Prior to this injury, he was quite durable, with his previous worst injury a sprained elbow lasting 6 weeks.

Career Stats: 274 G, 1122 K, 585 BB, 2.46 FIP, 86 FIP-, 44.6 WAR.

MLB Career Milestones:
Lutfu Wohlfarth, Boston Red Sox - 1500 Hits

No-Hitters/Perfect Games:
Dravidian Toups, Greeneville Reds, R - 11K, 2BB
Devon Silburn, Auburn Doubledays, A- - 2K, 2BB

15+ Strikeout Games:

6+ Hit Games:

3+ HR Games:
Andrew Lorion, Jackson Generals, AA
Felix Canino, Albuquerque Isotopes, AAA

Cycles:
Leeshawn Phelan, Augusta GreenJackets, A
Joey Faint, Bradenton Marauders, A+
Steve Ailor, Montgomery Biscuits, AA
Karl Wolfe, Kissimmee Astros, R

Hitting Streaks Ended:

[stealofhome]

Two interesting players this year: Davon Rolax and Blahoslav Leutheusser. They both have similar career paths, coming from out of nowhere to performing well enough to make the All-Star team this year.

Rolax was a New York High School kid drafted in the 28th round in 1900 by the White Sox. He spent the next 5 years in the low minor leagues before moving up to AA in 1905. He started 1906 in AAA and finally broke into the major leagues with the Dbacks. Most of his value comes from elite fielding at SS; he has a 17.8 ZR in half a season this year.

Leutheusser was in college at Georgia and also drafted in 1900, but instead in the 6th round. He made it to the majors in 1903 for a third of the season and repeated this for the next three years. Finally, in 1906 he was a little above average and in 1907, he was solidly above average. This year, his first half is on track for one just shy of an MVP.

American League:
SP Vic Dobie (NYY) - 12-9, 1.88 ERA, 177.0 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 5.3 K/9, 3.5 WAR
SP Jason Harris (MIN) - 9-5, 1.84 ERA, 166.0 IP, 0.89 WHIP, 4.8 K/9, 3.8 WAR
SP Ramón Jiron (SEA) - 12-3, 1.69 ERA, 149.1 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 4.9 K/9, 3.3 WAR
SP Benjamino Lazalde (TOR) - 15-3, 1.32 ERA, 171.0 IP, 0.98 WHIP, 4.5 K/9, 3.2 WAR
SP Gabe Parker (CHA) - 9-5, 1.36 ERA, 132.1 IP, 0.93 WHIP, 3.7 K/9, 3.6 WAR (Injured)
SP Jin-woo Scahill (OAK) - 10-5, 1.58 ERA, 165.2 IP, 0.88 WHIP, 3.9 K/9, 4.0 WAR
RP Alex Robinson (MIN) - 9-4, 2.25 ERA, 136.0 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 2.7 K/9, 1.9 WAR
CL Chris Becker (MON) - 2-2, 24 SV, 1.29 ERA, 48.2 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 7.2 K/9, 2.2 WAR
CL Eduardo Gonzalez (TB) - 2-0, 21 SV, 0.66 ERA, 40.2 IP, 1.01 WHIP, 5.1 K/9, 0.7 WAR
CL Jonathan Hiatt (KC) - 1-2, 30 SV, 0.61 ERA, 44.0 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, 1.4 WAR
C Isaac Blaise (NYY) - .253/.315/.286, 304 AB, 102 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
C Dan McKee (BOS) - .281/.319/.350, 303 AB, 1 HR, 124 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
C Warren Powell (HOU) - .293/.344/.354, 198 AB, 1 HR, 138 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
1B Aiden Massicotte (KC) - .296/.325/.380, 368 AB, 65 SB, 138 wRC+, 3.9 WAR
2B Murray Gunnell (NYY) - .276/.317/.347, 380 AB, 17 SB, 130 wRC+, 4.2 WAR
3B Tim Shriver (SEA) - .284/.329/.373, 394 AB, 2 HR, 34 SB, 141 wRC+, 4.2 WAR
SS Humberto De La Rosa (HOU) - .224/.309/.329, 322 AB, 27 SB, 120 wRC+, 3.3 WAR (Injured)
SS Kevin Kramer (OAK) - .225/.257/.295, 315 AB, 4 HR, 2 SB, 86 wRC+, 3.9 WAR
SS Davon Rolax (CLE) - .254/.298/.317, 240 AB, 5 SB, 108 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
LF Bobby Sauder (BAL) - .248/.356/.344, 323 AB, 5 HR, 10 SB, 130 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
CF Nick Caruso (OAK) - .269/.303/.411, 175 AB, 1 HR, 28 SB, 145 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
CF Hilbert Gaines (CLE) - .270/.295/.362, 400 AB, 3 HR, 22 SB, 125 wRC+, 3.8 WAR
CF Michael Carter (TB) - .289/.321/.388, 374 AB, 2 HR, 24 SB, 142 wRC+, 4.3 WAR
RF Wes Grossman (SEA) - .280/.330/.368, 378 AB, 2 HR, 23 SB, 137 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
RF Ken Schneider (TEX) - .279/.315/.414, 377 AB, 5 HR, 25 SB, 151 wRC+, 3.4 WAR

National League:
SP J.P. Avila (PIT) - 9-8, 1.47 ERA, 177.0 IP, 0.81 WHIP, 5.4 K/9, 6.0 WAR
SP Bernaldino Loma (LAD) - 10-7, 1.53 ERA, 182.0 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 4.2 K/9, 3.4 WAR
SP Kuniyasu Milbry (PHI) - 11-5, 1.42 ERA, 145.2 IP, 0.86 WHIP, 3.9 K/9, 3.4 WAR
SP Joe Ramage (SF) - 8-10, 2.73 ERA, 178.1 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 3.9 K/9, 4.4 WAR
SP Luis Salgado (PHI) - 5-8, 2.22 ERA, 141.2 IP, 0.88 WHIP, 4.3 K/9, 3.7 WAR
SP Elliott Woods (CHC) - 10-5, 1.80 ERA, 155.1 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 4.1 K/9, 3.5 WAR
CL Chris Becker (MON) - 2-2, 24 SV, 1.29 ERA, 48.2 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 7.2 K/9, 2.2 WAR
CL Tim Beckman (COL) - 3-4, 24 SV, 1.71 ERA, 52.2 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 8.2 K/9, 2.0 WAR
CL Max Hartman (LAD) - 2-1, 25 SV, 0.71 ERA, 50.2 IP, 0.71 WHIP, 4.3 K/9, 0.9 WAR
CL Fabian Ricci (MIL) - 1-2, 24 SV, 0.81 ERA, 44.2 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 6.6 K/9, 1.3 WAR
C Ryoto Cossin (ARI) - .266/.326/.319, 282 AB, 2 HR, 4 SB, 120 wRC+, 1.8 WAR
C Josh Fowler (SF) - .201/.288/.235, 294 AB, 1 HR, 3 SB, 85 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
C Parker Leija (FLA) - .245/.293/.289, 294 AB, 99 wRC+, 2.6 WAR
1B Manny Orduno (STL) - .232/.319/.304, 349 AB, 1 HR, 37 SB, 111 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
2B Kinnon Duford (CHC) - .282/.348/.328, 354 AB, 1 HR, 7 SB, 136 wRC+, 3.7 WAR (Injured)
3B Sherwood Conkel (LAD) - .272/.345/.321, 371 AB, 1 HR, 121 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
SS Blahoslav Leutheusser (SF) - .246/.290/.299, 268 AB, 1 SB, 104 wRC+, 3.9 WAR
SS Mike Pohlman (SD) - .286/.346/.363, 339 AB, 31 SB, 145 wRC+, 5.0 WAR
SS D.J. Vetter (PHI) - .271/.339/.354, 328 AB, 2 HR, 39 SB, 134 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
LF Chris Keleher (COL) - .316/.353/.410, 234 AB, 2 HR, 1 SB, 154 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
CF Geraldo Morales (NYM) - .270/.301/.402, 371 AB, 1 HR, 25 SB, 144 wRC+, 4.3 WAR
CF Rob Mosher (SF) - .283/.333/.427, 396 AB, 1 HR, 40 SB, 158 wRC+, 4.1 WAR
CF Nate Roberts (LAD) - .273/.341/.342, 348 AB, 63 SB, 134 wRC+, 4.3 WAR
CF Jim Slack (SD) - .246/.282/.359, 390 AB, 2 HR, 36 SB, 111 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
RF Luis Zambrano (CHC) - .260/.344/.331, 338 AB, 2 HR, 23 SB, 134 wRC+, 4.4 WAR (Injured)

[stealofhome]

Injury News:
Devastating news - Celio Cabedo's career is over. He hit a setback in his recovery from a partially torn labrum which will force him to retire.

Career Stats: 272 G, 1364 K, 424 BB, 1.99 FIP, 69 FIP-, 66.5 WAR

MLB Career Milestones:
Dana Clavez, Atlanta Braves, 700 SB

No-Hitters/Perfect Games:
Eric Preston, Fresno Grizzlies, AAA - 4K, 2BB
Ron Kirk, Great Falls Voyagers, R - 10K, 2BB
Jayden Castellanos, Augusta GreenJackets, A - 9K, 1BB
Julio Bave, Danville Braves, R - 7K, 2BB
Roldan Montero, Clinton LumberKings, A - 16K, 1BB

15+ Strikeout Games:
Roldan Montero, Clinton LumberKings, A - 16K

6+ Hit Games:
Edilberto Melchor, Billings Mustangs, R
Sergio Hanko, Mobile BayBears, AA
Aiden Shelton, Arizona Diamondbacks, MLB

3+ HR Games:
Johnny Litwiller, Lansing Lugnuts, A

Cycles:
Dashawn Loving, Down East Wood Ducks, A+

Hitting Streaks Ended:
Neo Simonetta, Charlotte Knights, AAA - 31 G
Gene Karas, Down East Wood Ducks, A+ - 27 G
Aramis Solis, Lancaster JetHawks, A+ - 29 G

[stealofhome]

MLB Career Milestones:

No-Hitters/Perfect Games:
Chris Murry, Burlington Bees, A - 13K, 2BB

15+ Strikeout Games:

6+ Hit Games:
Henry Crisp, Kissimmee Astros, R

3+ HR Games:
Mason Wagner, Albuquerque Isotopes, AAA
Bill Strother, Hartford Yard Goats, AA
Castiel Brizuela, Great Falls Voyagers, R
Zach Barringer, Vermont Expos, A-

Cycles:
Chris Mack, Visalia Rawhide, A+

Hitting Streaks Ended:

[stealofhome]

MLB Career Milestones:
Javy Diaz, Boston Red Sox - 1500 Hits
Of the 4 players in MLB history with 1500+ career hits, 3 of them play for the Red Sox.
Yulian Tarsi, Baltimore Orioles - 1000 K

No-Hitters/Perfect Games:
Felix Ortiz, Texas Rangers, MLB - 3K, 5BB

15+ Strikeout Games:

6+ Hit Games:

3+ HR Games:

Cycles:
Isaiah Walker, Columbus Clippers, AAA

Hitting Streaks Ended:
Kadin Henderson, Philadelphia Phillies, MLB - 25 G

[stealofhome]

Honest, I didn't even rig this (you can trust me, I'm a Brewers fan). The Chicago Cubs win the 1908 World Series. Jack Gilkey, the recent top pitching prospect was the World Series MVP.

[stealofhome]

AL MVP: Wes Grossman, RF, Seattle Mariners - 7.7 WAR, .345 wOBA, 145 wRC+, 14.3 ZR
NL MVP: Bill Desmond, SS, Cincinnati Reds - 7.9 WAR, .305 wOBA, 115 wRC+, 20.2 ZR

AL Top Pitcher: Jin-woo Scahill, RHP, Oakland Athletics - 6.2 WAR, 1.79 FIP, 79 FIP-, 3.3 K/BB
NL Top Pitcher: J.P. Avila (8), LHP, Pittsburgh Pirates - 8.9 WAR, 1.49 FIP, 65 FIP-, 3.4 K/BB

AL Rookie of the Year: Michael Carter, CF, Tampa Bay Devil Rays - 4.8 WAR, .299 wOBA, 111 wRC+, 9.8 ZR
NL Rookie of the Year: Bill Desmond, SS, Cincinnati Reds - 7.9 WAR, .305 wOBA, 115 wRC+, 20.2 ZR

AL Reliever of the Year: Eduardo Gonzalez, RHP, Tampa Bay Devil Rays - 6.4 WPA, 1.74 FIP, 76 FIP-, 1.9 K/BB
NL Reliever of the Year: Tim Beckman, RHP, Colorado Rockies - 6.1 WPA, 0.99 FIP, 41 FIP-, 3.5 K/BB

[stealofhome]

This is how I run the top Free Agent report using Excel. First I configure the database export: Replace accents, Insert column names, players_basic, Show real player ratings, players_player_value. Then export to csv.

Then I open up the players and players_value files and paste these formulas at the end of the sheet (beginning at location CU1).

Position: =IF(D2=1,VLOOKUP(E2,[Fixes.xlsx]DraftList!$K$2:$L$4,2,0),VLOOKUP(D2,[Fixes.xlsx]DraftList!$H$2:$I$10,2,0))
Name: =F2&" "&G2
Age: =I2
FA: =IF(CW2<=22,0,Q2)
Career_value: =IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(A2,INDIRECT("players_value.csv!$A $2:$S$"&COUNT(players_value.csv!$A:$A)-1),16,0)),0,VLOOKUP(A2,INDIRECT("players_value.csv !$A$2:$S$"&COUNT(players_value.csv!$A:$A)-1),16,0))

The VLOOKUP command under position references two tables that translates the "position" and "role" values for each player into an actual position name. The position value are the typical baseball values for 1-9 (Pitcher = 1, etc). If a player is listed as a pitcher, he will then have a role of 11 (SP), 12 (RP), or 13 (CL). I don't like to differentiate between RP and CL, so I just name them both RP.

Once the values are calculated, I sort by descending career value and filter on FA=1 and use that as the basis for the top 30 FA. This is not entirely accurate since the top FA once signed do not always follow the career value trend. I haven't tried yet to see which other variables are important for determining which FA will make the most money any given offseason. I imagine it has to do with expected performance, player personality, injuries, etc. This does fine for now.

[stealofhome]

After completing his two year contract with the Astros,

Yago Pimentel is on the market yet again. He pitched 26 Major League games over the length of the contract and gathered 5.7 WAR. He is still only 28 years old and will no doubt find a team that is willing to take the risk.


Dave Sweet has dealt with injuries as well after being named the top pitching prospect. He is currently just finishing a rehab for a torn labrum but for some reason rejected a qualifying offer. He must be very confident that shoulder will heal.


Kinnon Duford is not listed on the top 30 list since he is now 37 years old, but he is still one of the most talented FA available. His 1901 MVP season was a long time ago but he has still been consistently performing at an all-star level.

[stealofhome]

I run this report using the same file as the Free Agent report. I paste these formulas right next to those of the Free Agent columns, so starting at CZ1.

Nxt_Yr_age: =(697347-DF2)/365.25
Level: =VLOOKUP(C2,[Fixes.xlsx]DraftList!$E$2:$F$32,2,0)
Unsigned: =IF(CZ2>=18.82,IF(DA2="HS","Y",IF(CW2=19,IF(DA2="F A","Y","N"),"N")),"N")
HittingTalent: =IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(A2,INDIRECT("players_value.csv!$A $2:$S$"&COUNT(players_value.csv!$A:$A)-1),7,0)),0,VLOOKUP(A2,INDIRECT("players_value.csv! $A$2:$S$"&COUNT(players_value.csv!$A:$A)-1),7,0))
PitchingTalent: =IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(A2,INDIRECT("players_value.csv!$A $2:$S$"&COUNT(players_value.csv!$A:$A)-1),11,0)),0,VLOOKUP(A2,INDIRECT("players_value.csv !$A$2:$S$"&COUNT(players_value.csv!$A:$A)-1),11,0))
Max: =MAX(DC2:DD2)
DOB: =DATE(DG2,DH2,DI2)

The first thing is determine what age the player will be when the NCAA season begins the following year. Since Excel uses December 30, 1899 as day 0 of the universe, I have to do some calculations to figure out how old the players are that were born in the 1800s. This involves adding 1900 to the calculated dates. Once I turn the player's actual birth date to an Excel date, it says they were born in AD 3700 something - 5/6/1889 turns into 5/6/3789. I compensate for that by saying that the NCAA season starts on 3/26/3809 or whatever. The 697347 value changes every year based on the NCAA season start date.

The level field turns the level value into an actual level. This was determined for my game from the leagues_basic file from which I created a static table. The Unsigned field determines which players fit the proper criteria: Draft eligible last year (that's the 18.82 bit), still in HS or listed as a FA but only 19. Depending on how old the player is at draft time, the team will either hold onto him or release him if he is drafted but unsigned.

I use the Talent level to determine the player ranking and then select the top 20 to manually move to college. It is important to leave the players_value sheet open at all times while running these calculations or else it won't work.

Finally, I copy the date_of_birth field from column J and paste it in column DG, then run Text to Columns, using a hyphen as the delimiter. This will separate the date into year, month, day which will allow the DOB to calculate the proper age.

I sort by the Max field and filter on Unsigned = Y

[stealofhome]

The college teams were much more well-stocked this year and I selected more players to move because there were 25 players with a talent level over 1000. There were 150 players that fit under the Unsigned High School category total.

[stealofhome]

Top Prospects:
Joe Ramage - At the age of 29, Ramage is an elite pitcher in the Major Leagues. He has made two all-star games and was recently selected as the runner-up to J.P. Avila in the Pitcher of the Year voting.

Career MLB Stats: 180 G, 303 BB, 603 K, 89 FIP-, 25.6 WAR

Kevin Caperton - Caperton has had some injury issues but overall is performing around the Major League average.

Career MLB Stats: 3596 PA, 119 wRC+, -31.8 ZR, 12.7 WAR

Draftees:
Andrejs Silamikelis - The top draft pick in 1903 has turned into quite the fragile player. He isn't on the same level as Pimentel, but does consistently miss games every year. He is still doing very well but not at the level he would be if he could stay healthy.

Career MLB Stats: 2624 PA, 136 wRC+, 44.6 ZR, 29.1 WAR

Chris Spinner - He is still a very high potential prospect but hasn't put it together into Major-League ready skill yet.

Career MLB Stats: 4 PA, 70 wRC+, N/A ZR, 0 WAR

Joe Hubbard - One of the great college pitchers, Hubbard has turned into a solid mid-rotation starter in the majors with potential for more. His changeup is probably not going to make it, which is holding him back from making the leap. He does have a forkball to use as a change of pace, but it isn't at the same level as his other pitches.

Career MLB Stats: 130 G, 214 BB, 403 K, 92 FIP-, 16.4 WAR

Award Winners:
Tim Shriver - The 1903 AL Rookie of the Year has turned in a steady MLB career.

Career MLB Stats: 3991 PA, 103 wRC+, 38.3 ZR, 19.6 WAR

Jamie Schneider - The 1903 NL Rookie of the Year has not come close to matching his first year stats, though he still has been a useful major leaguer - possibly because he has been miscast as a CF instead of LF.

Career MLB Stats: 2975 PA, 122 wRC+, 19.6 ZR, 15.4 WAR

Other:
Liam Fouts - He had at the time the longest hitting streak that I had seen. He has made it as high as AAA but never cracked the majors yet.

Marvin Munoz - Munoz was named to the first four all-star games but hasn't returned since. He is still a great reliever, but has turned into a perennial free agent who refuses to sign until after the regular season has started. By the end of the year, he has done well, but he misses all of that time in Spring Training to get off the rust. His teams so far: Rockies, Angels, Giants, Rangers, Braves, White Sox, Marlins, Orioles, Cubs, Marlins again. He is a Free Agent this year as well. He is a legitimate relief HOF candidate but would be so much more if he would just sign sooner.

Career MLB Stats: 525 G, 193 BB, 603 K, 46 FIP-, 24.0 WPA, 26.9 WAR

Jared Harwell - He pitched the third no-hitter in MLB history but didn't stick around much longer as he retired in 1905.

Career MLB Stats: 185 G, 348 BB, 446K, 102 FIP-, 17.1 WAR

Kevin Roberts - Roberts was the top FA in 1903 and returned to the market in 1907, signing with the Padres. He was primed for a HOF run but ran into hamstring injuries and is now classified as "Wrecked."

Career MLB Stats: 4432 PA, 135 wRC+, -80 ZR, 27.7 WAR

Luis Magallanes - The old adage is to get rid of a pitcher the year before he goes downhill and that's just what the Brewers did in 1903. Magallanes was one of the premier pitchers in the league's infancy but tore the flexor tendon in his elbow in 1904, the year after the Brewers refused to re-sign him. He retired after sitting out the 1908 campaign as he tore the flexor tendon in his elbow a second time.

Career MLB Stats: 223 G, 287 BB, 608 K, 86 FIP-, 36.8 WAR