The North American Baseball Federation, Reborn

[ArquimedezPozo]

On the OOTP23 Fictional Sims forum, I had a running history of my four division Promotion/Relegation league, the North American Baseball Federation. The league features 48 teams from the US, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba, split evenly into Divisions 1-4, with each division having an Eastern and Western Conference, largely divided by the Mississippi River. D1 began with the largest markets, and it got smaller from there, until we got to D4. Each team was given the name of a defunct former team in that city, either from MLB history (such as the Montreal Expos), Negro Leagues history (Detroit Stars), Federal League history (the Chicago Whales), Mexican League history (the Tijuana Potros), or Minor League history (El Paso Sun Kings). There are a few cases where the best or only one I could find is either still active (like the San Antonio Missions) or a new team that revived an old name (like the former PCL LA Angels or San Diego Padres), but close enough.

Promotion or Relegation was determined using a formula based on winning percentage, Conference titles, and Division Championships, over three year cycles. Whichever team from each Conference had the highest number of points over that three year span got promoted; the team with the worst showing got relegated.

I started that thread after simming 30 years (ten cycles) of NABF history, and most of the first couple pages there are devoted to that history, including a comprehensive ranking of all 48 teams as of 2036 (the end of the Federation's 30th year). After that I started in on Cycle 11, and was in the middle of chronicling the 2039 season when I lost steam, got too busy to continue, and hemmed and hawed for a while over whether to switch it over to OOTP 24.

I finally did so after finishing off Cycle 11 and the 2039 season, so I've decided to reopen this story on the forums and see how things progress as we head into Cycle 12. The link in the first paragraph of this will take you to that old thread, or you can just jump on board here as I start with a 2039 recap and then move forward into Cycle 12.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Before I dive into Cycle 12, I want to do a recap of the 2039 season, which I was in the middle of when I stopped updates to the previous thread. I'll go Division by Division here.

D1 East - Regular Season
Division 1 was a multi-team dogfight in both Conferences. In the East, the early season belonged to the Brooklyn Dodgers and eventual D1 MVP Carson Prince. Brooklyn held the top spot as late as June 14, with the Chicago Whales as their prime competition, while the preseason favorite New York Giants scuffled out of the gate. But by late June, the Giants had surged, taking over the top spot while Brooklyn held, a few games back, neck and neck with Chicago.

Through July and August, the three teams were rarely separated by more than three games, with Chicago spending stretches of those months in a tie with NY for the top spot, even overtaking New York briefly in August. But by mid-September, the Giants had built a four game lead, punctuated by a brilliant D1 debut season from ace Willie Rodriguez. Rodriguez - author of the greatest D4 pitching season ever with the Cincinnati Tigers in 2035 - didn't disappoint on the Federation's biggest stage, claiming the Pitcher of the Year trophy while setting a D1 all-time WHIP mark (0.91) and coming within nine K's of Jason Blanche's 2038 all-time NABF single season strikeout mark of 337.

The Whales faded fast in September, while the Tampa Tarpons, who had spent the first half with a sub-.500 record, surged forward to end in third place, seven games out. Brooklyn, the 2038 D1 East titleholders, ended four games back, while Chicago finished an even 77-77, ten games out. The Giants, meanwhile, held their lead and clinched in the season's final week, ending at 87-67.

D1 West - Regular Season
The West was an even closer race, with four teams holding first place for significant portions of the season. The Monterrey Industriales hadn't been on most observers' radars early in the year, but jumped out to an early lead behind a balanced offense and a top-two pitching staff anchored by the game's best bullpen.

Still, the Industriales fell back in the middle months as the Los Angeles Angels moved into first. The Angels, who had spent much of the middle part of the 2030s near the bottom of the standings, emerged with a young core built around slugging 1B Jon Segura and eventual Rookie of the Year Brian Weisman providing support for a surprisingly good rotation. By the end of July, the Angels looked to be running away with it, five games up on both the Industriales and the defending 2038 D1 Champion El Paso Sun Kings.

In August, though, the Angels scuffled, and both El Paso and Monterrey took advantage. Monterrey 2B Chase Maze blew up that month, on the way to a 41 home run season, while 2038 MVP Brian Castrovinci finally regained his mojo for the Sun Kings after a disappointing start. Heading into September, the three teams were separated by a single game.

El Paso pulled ahead in September's early days, but by mid-month it was the Industriales atop the standings, just as it had been in April and May. But their victory wasn't assured until the season's final day, as they held off El Paso and finished just a single game up with their first D1 West title since 2024.

D1 Championship
The drama of the regular season vanished in the championship, as the Giants romped all over Monterrey, denying the Industriales their first D1 crown (they won two D2 titles during their relegation in the mid-2010s). Game 1 was a 13 inning gem featuring a pitching duel between Willie Rodriguez and Raul Orduno, ending with a dramatic bases-clearing double by pinch hitter Jose Avila to give New York a 5-2 win. The next two games were blowouts, with the Giants scoring 11 in each while Monterrey managed just a single run, in Game 3. Game 4 was a classic, as New York held off a late-game comeback in the 8th to down the Industriales 4-3 and take their fifth D1 Championship. RF Alex Parga, who hit .389/.500/.944 with three homers in the series, was named MVP.

2039 Awards
MVP: Carson Prince, 1B, BRO: .303/.383/.644, 1.026 OPS, 5.7 WAR, 54 HR, 100 R, 113 RBI
Prince was chasing the D1 home run title all year, but couldn't quite surpass Francisco Carreno, settling for a tie with the decades-old record at 54. Prince led D1 in Slugging and homers for the third consecutive season and seems to be cementing a legacy as one of the great first basemen in NABF history.

Pitcher of the Year: Willie Rodriguez, SP, NYG: 15-10, 2.59 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 8.5 WAR, 328 K in 246.2 IP
Though some were unsure of how well Rodriguez would adapt with a shift from D4 to D1 competition, he settled those doubts decisively with one of the greatest pitching seasons in D1 history. Rodriguez set a Division record with a 0.91 WHIP and his 8.5 WAR and 328 K's were second only to Jason Blanche's D1 record marks from 2038.

Rookie of the Year: Brian Weisman, CF, LAA: .301/.350/.542, .892 OPS, 31 HR, 69 R, 87 RBI, 6 WAR
Weisman had one of the best rookie seasons in NABF history, nearly winning the MVP with a 6 WAR, .892 OPS season that powered the Angels into contention throughout the season. Weisman, just 22 in 2039, is perhaps the most exciting young player in the game.

Reliever of the Year: Carlos Mendez, CL, MRY: 41 Saves, 1.62 ERA, 87 K in 66.2 IP, 3.2 WAR
Mendez won his second straight Reliever of the Year unanimously, leading D1 in saves as the anchor of the game’s best bullpen. He improved his command considerably while maintaining an impressive 11.7 K/9 on his way to the award.

[ArquimedezPozo]

D2-D4 Recaps
Note: I ran the promotion/relegation system before writing this, forgetting that it is therefore impossible given the limitations of OOTP to actually look back at yearly standings after doing so, so my recaps will be short for D2, D3, and D4 - the top teams remained in D1, so I had more to work with there.

D2 - Regular Season
For much of the early part of the season, the D2 East was a two-team race between the Bees and the Detroit Stars. The Stars, led by ace and eventual Pitcher of the Year Zack Root, spent some time early on in first place, but by midseason Boston had claimed the top spot. Their booming offense, led by first half star Rogelio Ventura, promising young CF Adam Andersen, and a revelatory breakout by MVP C Rick Wilde, put them over the top by June. They built on their lead week by week, ending the season with ten more wins than the Stars. The 2038 D2 East titleholding Baltimore Terrapins, meanwhile, were slow to start. The 2038 MVP Omar Juarez fell apart, with a difficult season that saw him go from 7.6 WAR in ‘38 to just 2.6 in ‘39. They were also devastated by a season-ending injury to CF Wayne Richard, who appeared on the cusp of superstardom. But, driven in part by a strong starting rotation, Baltimore climbed their way up the standings, ultimately finishing in second place, a game ahead of the fading Stars.

The West was far less dramatic, as a surprising Houston Buffaloes squad went wire to wire. Most commentators saw the Buffs as a year or two from contention, as a young core established themselves, but youngsters Aaron Ferguson, Justice Slaton, and Tony Adams drove D2’s second best offense all the way to the Conference title. The Buffaloes were also the Division’s third best run-prevention squad, mostly due to an airtight defense that gave Houston’s middle-of-the-road pitching staff outstanding cover. The combination resulted in a 97 win season, the most of any team in the NABF in 2039. Despite this, though, Houston fell short of promotion, as the 90 win Mounties - D2 Champions the season before - held a points advantage. Had Houston defeated Boston in the Championship series, they would have been headed back to D1, but that wasn’t to be.

Division 2 Championship
The squad from Boston outclassed a young Buffs team in the Championship series, winning their four games easily around a classic see-saw Game 3 that gave Houston its only win of the series. RF Russ Mesaros, only two years removed from a 42 homer season, put one over the fence in each of the series’ first four games to be named MVP, and Bryan Murphy won the first and final games of the series, allowing just a single run on a Jose Garza homer in Game 5. The victory ensured the Bees’ promotion, and prevented one by Houston, who now go into Cycle 12 as the favorites.

Division 2 Awards
MVP: Rick Wilde, C, BOS: .308/.383/.519, 22 HR, 70 RBI, 7.2 WAR - Wilde became only the second catcher in NABF history to win an MVP with a startling season at age 27. Wilde, who in 2038 put up just 1.1 WAR and a .645 OPS, led D2 in both categories in 2039 while taking the Bees all the way to their first franchise championship since 2029.

Pitcher of the Year: Zack Root, SP, DET: 17-9, 2.72 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 5.7 WAR - Root came close to the award in 2038, his first year in Detroit, but narrowly missed out to Vancouver’s Buxkemper. To follow it up, he almost replicated his season: 248.1 innings instead of 248, 237 K instead of 255, a 2.72 ERA instead of a 2.87, and 5.7 WAR instead of 5.4. This time, the voters recognized his accomplishments with his first Pitcher of the Year.

Rookie of the Year: Matthew Miller, LF, KCM: .273/.343/.486, 15 HR, 2.1 WAR - in a quiet year for D2 rookies, Miller rose to the top. The 24 year old LF was a Rule 5 pick from El Paso, and far exceeded expectations, nailing down a starting job for the Monarchs and becoming their most productive regular hitter.

Reliever of the Year: Tim Potter, CL, BOS: 36 Saves, 2.14 ERA, 12.7 K/9 in 59 IP, 0.97 WHIP, 1.8 WAR
Potter was near automatic for the D2 Champion Bees, riding a devastating fastball-change combo to 83 Ks in 59 innings of work. It was a huge step forward for Potter at age 32, and there are certainly questions about whether he can replicate it, but those questions don’t take away his new hardware.

D3 - Regular Season
The East was more a coronation than a season, as the Nashville Sounds won 94 games (their fourth consecutive 94+ win season) and went wire to wire, finishing a comfortable seven games over the surprising Columbus Red Birds. Nashville was strong on both sides of the ball, scoring 658 runs (behind only the Salt Lake Gulls and that same Red Birds club) and allowing only 579, fourth lowest in D2. The consistent Bobby Cook led the way, as the 32 year old LF posted his sixth straight 5+ WAR, 30+ homer season, while future Hall of Famers Ivan Castillo and Mel Irving contributed strong years at the plate and with their up-the-middle defense. The rotation wasn’t flashy, and lacked a bona fide ace, but they were able to hold opposing bats down enough to make it through the season. That included the powerful Columbus Red Birds, headlined by Ricky Ponce’s ultimately unsuccessful assault on Pedro Quiroz’s NABF single season HR mark; though he was on a 70 homer pace through June, he ended with “only” 59, tying Steve Mauck’s 15 year old mark. He did set the Division 3 RBI record with 145.

The West was a strange contest between the Salt Lake Gulls - the best offensive club in D3 (maybe the best in the NABF) - and a win-every-way-you-can Saints team that on paper was far inferior. The two clubs were neck and neck almost all year, but neither dominated: the Saints finished the season 78-76, a game up on a Gulls team that played .500 ball despite a +101 run differential and an 88-66 expected record. The Saints, meanwhile, rode a lockdown rotation to the fewest runs allowed in D3. They, too, underperformed their pythagorean, though only by 4 games. Salt Lake’s stud 1B Ralph Keough - the 2038 D3 MVP - would have won his second straight had Ricky Ponce not exploded onto the scene: Keough hit .333/.382/.606 with 37 homers, 199 hits, and 27 stolen bases, the latter two D3 bests. His 7.4 WAR was actually half a win better than his MVP season a year before. He was merely the headliner of a booming offense that included two-way SS/SP Rob Cady (7.9 WAR combined), LF Tony Hines, and international signing Guo-fang Di, the team’s regular DH. But despite that offense, Salt Lake gave up runs in buckets, and the Saints got a career year from John McNayr, along with a stellar rookie campaign from Jerry Dudek. In the end, it was Saint Paul that stuck the landing, taking the conference title by a game.

Division 3 Championship
Nashville came in the overwhelming favorites, defending their crown against a team that won just two more games than they lost. But those dreams were dashed quickly: St. Paul took game 1, knocking Nashville starter John Giordano out in the third and holding on to win 6-4, then dropping seven on Nashville in each of the next two games, while keeping the Sounds’ bats quiet. Nashville returned the favor with a 7-1 win in game 4, but it was too little too late: the Saints came marching back with a resounding 9-1 win featuring two big homers by series MVP Kevin Walker. The win punctuated an improbable promotion for the Saints, who had been one of the NABF’s most moribund franchises since their four-peat in the Federation’s early days.

Division 3 Awards
MVP: Ricky Ponce, RF, CMB: .291/.355/.675, 59 HR, 145 RBI, 107 R, 6.7 WAR - Columbus’s Ponce, in his age 25 season, put together one of the greatest offensive displays in NABF history. For much of the season he was threatening Pedro Quiroz’s all-time HR record, and eventually tied the D3 mark with 59 while setting a D3 record with 145 RBI. He almost single-handedly elevated Columbus into some level of contention, and with Nashville up in D2, he may yet deliver them a conference title.

Pitcher of the Year: Tim Lank, SP, AUS: 17-11, 2.51 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 6.3 WAR - last year was the year a lot of people around the league finally noticed that Tim Lank is among the best pitchers in NABF history. Lank has always been a quiet ace, consistently valuable, with only one season in his last dozen under 4 WAR, all for the Austin Pioneers. At age 37, though, he may have turned in his finest season yet, with a career-high 6.3 WAR, 17 wins, and 2.51 ERA. The trophy is his second, having won it last in 2031, one of the longest gaps between two POYs in Federation history. Lank will be a free agent after the 2040 season, and it remains to be seen whether he will end his career with the Pioneers, his only career franchise.

Rookie of the Year: Guo-fang Di, DH, SLC: .249/.339/.534, 28 HR, 141 wRC+, 3.3 WAR - Di was one of the biggest bats in the biggest offense in the Division in 2039. At age 28, he was also old for a rookie, having been signed by the Gulls as an international free agent in the offseason. Di couples major power with a strong batting eye, and could provide stable offense for SLC for several years to come.

Reliever of the Year: Jonathan Marquez, CL, MEM: 34 Saves, 1.87 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 0.9 WAR - in a mostly forgettable season for the now-relegated Blues, Marquez stands out. He saved nearly half of the team’s 76 wins, and served as the last line of defense for the stingiest pitching staff in the D3 East. At 26, he has room to grow, and will now do so against D4 competition.

D4 - Regular Season
After a 2038 that saw the Pittsburgh Crawfords - long the most miserable team in the NABF, and the only franchise without even a single Conference title in its history - finally take the top spot in the D4 East, all eyes were on ace Joel Ortiz and the rest of Pittsburgh’s young core to see if they could repeat. They did, almost going wire to wire in the East. The Crawfords built up a large lead before a late season slide nearly took it all apart, but they survived, and ended the season four games up on second place Indianapolis. They were led by D4 Pitcher of the Year Joel Ortiz, who - like Willie Rodriguez - was chasing Jason Blanche’s all-time strikeout mark all season. Ortiz came even closer than Rodriguez, ending with 334, a D4 record that was just three shy of Blanche. The Crawfords also benefited from one of the best acquisitions of the 2038-2039 offseason: C Ghi-cheng Miao. Miao, the D4 Rookie of the Year, proved an able defensive catcher and a major power threat, cracking 28 homers with a .501 Slug. Free agent 1B Donovan Bryant also provided 36 homers. In all, the Crawfords led the D4 East with the most runs scored and the fewest runs allowed, and should have won even more than their 89-65 record.

In the west, another improbable champ was emerging out of seemingly nowhere: the San Antonio Missions, who had never played outside of D4 and who had just two Conference titles and no Division Championships to their name, led all the way in the West. They allowed just 541 runs, one fewer than the Crawfords and the fewest of any D4 team, with a deep rotation led by young ace Bill Lorentz and the veteran lefty Mario Caudillo. 1B Justin Gulden provided the biggest offensive lift for the club, with an unusual 1B profile: Gulden led D4 with 21 triples and a .337 BA, but didn’t hit a single home run all season. Despite that, he put up 5.6 WAR for the Missions as they finished the season a full 15 games ahead of the second place Las Vegas 51s.

Division 4 Championship
In a year of relatively boring Championship Series, this one had at least a bit of drama. Game 1 was about as good a pitcher’s duel as anyone is likely to see, as Joel Ortiz and Bill Lorentz each threw shutout inning after shutout inning. Ortiz went seven, striking out 13, and then gave way to closer Chris Scott, while Lorentz went the full nine before handing off to Roberto Lopez. But, in a bizarre move, the Missions allowed Lorentz to stay in the game as the DH, and he delivered: the part-time hitter drilled a double against Scott in the bottom of the 11th that pushed Ray Bostick to third, and Steve McNellis drove him in with a single to give San Antonio a 1-0 victory. San Antonio won another close one in Game 2, riding a brilliant Pete Morin start to a 3-1 victory, and then replicated that score in Game 3 behind Eduardo Fernandez. It looked like the series was nailed shut, but the Crawfords refused to go quietly. Matt Hahn delivered a fantastic start, going nine and allowing just a single hit and a single run, as the Crawfords won 5-1. Then Ortiz returned to the mound with a vengeance in Game 4, delivering one of the most dominant postseason starts in NABF history: a complete game, 11 K four hit shutout as the Crawfords put up five on Lorentz and the Missions bullpen. Game 6, then, was an instant classic: back and forth until the Crawfords took a 5-2 lead in the seventh, leading to an epic comeback in which San Antonio scored two in the 8th, one in the ninth to tie on a pinch-hit RBI single by Ron Golden, and finally a walk-off RBI single by Alex Gonzalez in the bottom of the tenth to give San Antonio their first Division Championship and their first promotion. Bostick was named MVP, hitting .360/.360/.400 with three critical RBI in the series.

Division 4 Awards
MVP: Matt Armstrong, 2B, PHX: .272/.386/.527, 22 HR, 154 wRC+, 7.2 WAR - the Firebirds’ outstanding all-around 2B Armstrong, after winning the 2038 Championship Series MVP, won the full season version in 2039 with a great campaign for a disappointing team. Armstrong set career highs in WAR (7.2), hits (140), and OBP (.386), as he emerged as a genuine leader for the Firebirds franchise.

Pitcher of the Year: Joel Ortiz, SP, PIT: 18-4, 2.43 ERA, 334 K, 0.99 WHIP, 7.9 WAR - in just his second full season, the 23 year old Ortiz was a sensation, breaking Nate Mefford’s 2038 single season D4 K record by 40 (Mefford himself struck out 315 this season, now the Division’s second highest total). Ortiz also led D4 in ERA, WHIP, K/9, and WAR, and was a unanimous selection for the award - the first, one can imagine, of several for the bright young hurler.

Rookie of the Year: Ghi-cheng Miao, C, PIT: .240/.331/.501, 28 HR, 70 RBI, 4.1 WAR - the 28 year old Miao wasn’t a rookie in the strictest sense, but had an outstanding first season in the NABF, helping the Crawfords to their best ever season and a long-awaited return to Division 3. Miao emerged as a team leader, and was at the center of some of the team’s biggest moments of the season.

Reliever of the Year: Roberto Lopez, CL, SAM: 48 Saves, 1.16 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 2.0 WAR - Lopez tied Carlos Alaniz’s 30 year old D4 saves record with 48 for the runaway title-winning Missions, and was a huge part of the success of their bullpen, the Division’s best. In his fourth season since signing with Sacramento out of the Mexican League, the 32 year old had a career year that he will look to build on in Division 3.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Note: Players are inducted into the Hall of Fame at the start of each new three-year cycle. A player must have been retired for the entirely of the previous cycle in order to be eligible for induction.

The NABF Hall of Fame Class of 2040 is the first class inducted since the inaugural Hall was created in 2037. The players who join that inaugural class today are by every measure their equals. They include all-time record holders such as Pedro Quiroz, Craig Vest, and Bobby Usry, franchise-defining players like Steve Mauck, Julio Blea, and Dennis Milligan, and two of the greatest two-way stars the game has seen in Hector Rayfield and Nick Goodwin.

Julio Blea, LF (2019-2034)
A player of quiet strength, Blea helped stabilize a New York Giants team reeling from relegation, leading them to two straight Division 2 Championships in 2023 and 2024. Blea was a consummate professional hitter with a perfect batting eye that led to a career .412 OBP, to which he added 316 home runs and 241 steals. That combination of on-base ability, power, and speed made Blea one of the great leadoff hitters of his or any generation.

Nick Goodwin, SP/LF (2014-2033)
A feared presence on both sides of the ball. As a hitter, Goodwin won three MVP awards for the San Diego Padres in the 2020s and mashed 421 homers in his career. As a pitcher, Goodwin won 166 games, 40th on the all-time list. Goodwin was part of seven Division Champion clubs, in Divisions 2, 3, and 4, and was a 16 time All-Star.

Steve Mauck, LF (2018-2035)
A five-time MVP and the driving offensive force behind the Baltimore Terrapins dynasty of the 2020s. Mauck led his Division in homers seven times, including his 59 homer 2024 season, a Division 3 record. That same season, Mauck won the Triple Crown, hitting .344 and driving in 142 runs. A seven time Division Champion, Mauck hit .333/.524/1.000 with three homers in the 2022 Championship series that gave Baltimore its first title, and was named the MVP of the series.

Dennis Milligan, 1B (2017-2034)
One of the most consistent and prodigious power hitters in NABF history, Milligan retired with 646 home runs, second on the all-time list. He was a two time MVP in back-to-back seasons, 2019 and 2020 with the Salt Lake Gulls, and is the only player in NABF history to lead D2, D3, and D4 in homers in different seasons. Though Milligan was often overlooked in his prime, he retired as the greatest player in Salt Lake baseball history.

Pedro Quiroz, DH (2020-2035)
The greatest power hitter in NABF history, and one of the most complete hitters as well. Quiroz became a legend in his first full season, hitting .310/.390/.661 with 54 home runs, the first of ten times he topped the home run leaderboard. Quiroz won five MVP awards for the New Orleans Zephyrs, and two Triple Crowns in 2025 and 2028. Quiroz hit more than 50 home runs in eight separate seasons. In 2029, Quiroz set a new NABF single season home run mark with 62, and retired as the all-time NABF home run leader with 676, and career Slugging leader at .606.

Hector Rayfield, SP/IF (2014-2034)
Rayfield was an integral part of the Boston Bees dynasty of the late 2010s and 2020s who excelled as a pitcher, winning 214 games and the 2026 Pitcher of the Year Award, and as a skilled infielder and hitter who split his time between second and third base while collecting over 2,300 hits, 300 home runs, and 1,300 RBI. Rayfield was a 12 time All-Star and won five Division 1 championships with Boston between 2015 and 2029.

Bobby Usry, CF (2019-2036)
Retired as the NABF’s all-time hits king. The first player in NABF history to collect his 3,000th hit, Usry was a contact machine, with over 200 hits in five different seasons. He is also the NABF’s all-time leader in doubles, with an incredible 779, almost two hundred more than the next closest player. Usry improved with age: in his 2031 season, Usry set the all-time NABF mark in batting average with .374 at age 34 with the St. Louis Browns.

Craig Vest, 1B (2016-2036)
NABF all-time stolen base leader Craig Vest was one one of the most dynamic and beloved players in NABF history. The face of the Ft. Worth Cats led his Division in steals an astonishing 14 times, amassing nearly 2,800 hits including 542 double, 172 triples, and 200 home runs. Vest was a three-time MVP with the D1 Cats twice and the D3 Albuquerque Dukes, and amassed 6 Silver Sluggers and 13 All-Star nods. Vest was also a strong defender, with four Gold Gloves to his name.

[ArquimedezPozo]

October 12 - The Detroit Stars have extended their All-Star LF Victor Ortiz, likely ensuring that the former Cuban international free agent will spend his entire NABF career in Detroit. Ortiz hit .253/.376/.498 with 27 homers and a 145 wRC+ for the Stars in 2039.

October 19 - The Atlanta Crackers have seen enough to know that they want Jim Mayer around for the long haul, locking the young starting pitcher up with a seven year, $52.2 million contract that will keep him in Atlanta until 2046. Mayer has been worth 12.3 wins over his first two full seasons.

November 1 - that sound you just heard was a cry of anguish from Kansas City, as the team traded beloved ace Rhett Frew to Memphis. Frew was headed to arbitration after the season, and fetched an assortment of prospects from Memphis, who are motivated to get out of D4 after just a single cycle. Frew, a finalist for the D2 Pitcher of the Year, could help them do just that.

November 6 - The LA Angels traded promising young 2B Frank Mozo to El Paso for star closer Jeff Martin and a pitching prospect. The move shores up the Angels bullpen, and 25 Jaheim Johnson is ready to take over at second. Mozo will fill a glaring need for the Sun Kings.

November 6 - It’s not every day that a clear-cut first ballot Hall of Famer gets traded, but today’s not every day: Mel Irving is on his way to Detroit after a surprise deal that sees top middle infield prospect Josh Cooper head to Nashville. Irving, who spent four seasons in Detroit after over a decade in Baltimore, is an 11-time Gold Glove winner in center and a former MVP.

November 12 - The Industriales made a major move, trading low-level prospects to the Expos for former ace and four-time Pitcher of the Year Bubba Fread. The Expos, looking to clear salary space, will retain a significant portion of the contract. Fread has struggled the last two years, but remains an intriguing bounce-back candidate for Industriales pitching coach Rey Macias.

November 12 - after dealing Closer Jeff Martin to Los Angeles earlier in the month, the El Paso Sun Kings have signed bullpen ace Makoto Morimoto to a two-year, $12 milion dollar contract. Morimoto, a two-time Reliever of the year and nine-time All-Star for six teams in his 12 season career, spent 2039 with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

November 16 - The Boston Bees want to stick around D1, and the Chicago Whales seem to be shifting into a rebuild. The Whales traded ace Armando Orozco to Boston for a trio of promising prospects, hoping they'll be able to complete a rebuild before risking relegation after Cycle 12; Boston, meanwhile, has added a certified ace to what had been a shaky rotation.

November 16 - Philadelphia inked former Solons ace Josh Argo - who opted out of Sacramento following the team's relegation to D3 - to a six-year, $61 million deal - potentially a bargain after a disappointing season for Argo. His advanced metrics suggest potential for a bounce back, and if it happens, the Athletics may have gotten themselves a rotation anchor.

November 18 - The Saints may have moved up to Division 2, but their ace is moving further still. John McNayr was sent to the Giants today in exchange for a mid-level pitching prospect; the move will help St. Paul defray costs as McNayr was entering his final arbitration year.

November 20 - D2 MVP Catcher Rick Wilde is staying in Boston long-term, as the Bees locked up their 27 year old star for another five seasons in a contract that will cost them over $80 million. Wilde joins NY catcher Matt Wood, El Paso's Mike Kepler, and Seattle's Roger Alvarado in an impressive group of D1 catchers.

November 20 - The Salt Lake clubhouse is a little bit of a happier place today, after news that the club traded Tony Hines to Cincinnati for a low-level pitching prospect. Hines has been a divisive figure in the league since his debut, though his talent at the plate is undeniable.

November 22: In a massive deal that is sure to turn the D1 West on its head, the Los Angeles Angels have added four-time Pitcher of the Year Paul Herrin. By dealing the upcoming free agent, Miami receives top 3B prospect Steve Schwartz and four mid-level prospects from LA as they work to rebuild. For Los Angeles, this acquisition gives them the ace they were missing last year and makes them instant favorites in the West.

November 23 - In an offseason where several big name pitchers have changed uniforms (including yesterday’s Paul Herrin blockbuster), add this to the pile: the Austin Pioneers have done the unthinkable, trading the best player in their franchise’s history, ace and defending Pitcher of the Year Tim Lank, to the Pittsburgh Crawfords. For Pittsburgh, it’s a coup, giving them a devastating 1-2 in Joel Ortiz and Lank. For Austin, it’s the end of an era, and a shock to the Austin fanbase. The jury is out on the return, RP prospect Frank Case and C prospect Moises Cordova.

November 28 - Bobby Cook is headed to Ft. Worth. The star LF, who led the Nashville Sounds to Division 2, will now be suiting up against them as a Cat in his final year before free agency. Cook, 34, hit .269/.383/.558 with 36 homers in 2039. In return, the Sounds pick up promising 1B prospect Mike Kelley and two mid-level pitching prospects.

December 8 - Observers are puzzled by the announcement today that the Chicago Whales have signed 2037 D4 Pitcher of the Year Corey Spry to a seven year, $70 million deal today. After dealing Armando Orozco to Boston earlier in the offseason, picking up Spry - who is coming off a down year - seems to be a rotation downgrade without saving much money in the long run.

December 23 - the biggest free agent signing of the offseason has gone to the Monterrey Industriales, who have given two-time MVP CF Benni Phillips a five year, $85 million deal. The Industriales have strength across the outfield and at DH with John Witherspoon, but wherever Phillips winds up playing, he gives Monterrey a formidable offense.

February 6 - Russ Mesaros will continue to terrorize Division 2 pitching after signing a five year deal with the newly-relegated Denver Bears. Mesaros, who spent six seasons with the D2 Boston Bees where he developed into a feared power threat, will earn $39 million on a contract that will take him through his age 38 season.

February 22 - Monterrey fans are left shaking their heads as the team has dealt All-Star power hitting 2B Chase Maze to the Sacramento Solons. Even as the team has added several outfielders to an already-powerful group, Maze takes away their biggest power threat. In return, Monterrey gets another OF - right field prospect Emmanuel Hinton. The move is a sign of how much faith the Monterrey front office has in young superprospect David McConnell, who excelled in a stint in Monterrey last season.

March 14 - The El Paso Sun Kings aren't going to let anyone else steal the D1 stolen base king anytime soon. The team announced today that they've extended LF Joe Rison to a major 7 year contract worth almost $108 million. Rison is coming off a career year, putting up 7.5 WAR to lead D1 while hitting .330/.429/.546. Rison will be named team captain as part of the deal.

March 22 - The New York Giants have signed SS Mike Burcham to a 5 year, $42 million extension. Burcham won the 2033 MVP with an exceptional offensive campaign and followed it up with another brilliant season before falling off a cliff in 2035. He remains one of the best defensive shortstops in the game, but questions about his offense and makeup will persist.

[ArquimedezPozo]

Preseason Predictions for Divisions 1-4, 2040 Season

[ArquimedezPozo]

Both Conferences in D1 end April with a clear leader, and then a big mess.

In the East, the New York Giants leapt out to an 8-2 start powered by an offense that has scored 14 runs even with superstar 2B Andrew Fitts on the IL. 1B Luis Nazario, who turned some heads in a strong rookie campaign last season in which he knocked 30 homers with an OPS around .850, has been the best hitter in D1 in the early going, with a 195 wRC+ and a 45 homer pace. The next two D1 hitters, in terms of wRC+? They're both Giants: future Hall of Fame catcher Matt Wood is just behind Nazario, and RF Jose Cruz is just behind Wood. Defending D1 Pitcher of the Year Willie Rodriguez has started well, though the ERA doesn’t quite reflect his 1.74 FIP. Jon Sayre has been exceptional as the team’s second ace, and new acquisition John McNayr has pitched well in his starts as well, giving the Giants the second best team FIP in D1.

Beyond the Giants, all five Eastern Conference clubs are bunched within a win of each other. The Tampa Tarpons are in second at 11-10, which former Rookie of the Year catcher Bill Wheeler out to a hot start, helping Tampa to a second-best 99 runs as a team. Chicago, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia are all tied at 10-11 behind the Tarpons. In Brooklyn, defending MVP Carson Prince has gotten off to a slow start, hitting just .276/.375/.382 in the early going, while Brooklyn’s pitching staff has been hit or miss, with 2038 Pitcher of the Year Matt O’Brien struggling early and aging, long-time ace Jason Blanche in the bullpen following his season-ending injury in 2039. Chicago has been kept afloat by great pitching, but they just lost Corey Spry for at least the bulk of the season, requiring surgery to remove a bone spur in his elbow. Philadelphia has gotten an exceptional month from their two aces in Pedro Luna and new acquisition Josh Argo, but little in the way of offense so far. A half game back of those three, and in last place, is Boston, back in D1 but still waiting for things to click on both sides of the ball.

In the Western Conference, Seattle has come back from a disappointing 2039 to take an early lead. Seattle played well under expectations in part due to an early power outage, but their big bats have produced better to this point, with free agent signing Marcos Diaz providing a big spark. Seattle is 14-7, and while that may be a bit over their heads, they’ll take it.

Objects in their rearview mirror are getting closer though: El Paso started off with an abysmal 2-7 record in their first two weeks of play, but have gone 9-3 since as Brian Castrovinci has provided pop: now in his third full season, the 2038 D1 MVP is hitting .319/.440/.493 with three homers and a 182 wRC+, good for the Division top 5. El Paso has kept runs off the board at an impressive rate as well, with the Division’s second best team ERA. Beyond El Paso, three teams are gathered at 10-11. Monterrey, coming off a Conference title, has scored a lot of runs, but has been even worse at preventing them as a largely cobbled together rotation hasn’t kept up with the powerhouse teams they’ve faced. Young phenom 2B David McConnell, whose development prompted the trade of franchise mainstay Chase Maze, is on the shelf for three more weeks with a fractured wrist, but free agent acquisition Benni Phillips has been rejuvenated early on, hitting .351/.437/.473 while wearing Industriales Orange. The Angels added a bona fide ace in Paul Herrin in the offseason, and he’s been outstanding, but the biggest story is the ace they realized they already had, as veteran lefthander Doug Kluz has been lights out in his four starts thus far. The Tijuana Potros busted out of the gate with four straight wins to open the season, but have come back to earth despite leading D1 in homers. And taking up the rear thus far are the newly promoted Vancouver Mounties, who have Leo Rodriguez’s big bat (a D1-best 8 homers) but not much else thus far.

D1 Batter of the Month: Luis Nazario, 1B, New York Giants - .329/.382/.622, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 195 wRC+
D1 Pitcher of the Month: Toshiyo Nimiya, SP, Seattle Steelheads - 5-0, 1.82 ERA, 31 K in 39.2 IP
D1 Rookie of the Month: Billy Beckemeyer, RP, Philadelphia Athletics - 1-0, 2 Saves, 7 K, 0.94 WHIP

[ArquimedezPozo]

The Montreal Expos traded away the best player in franchise history in Bubba Fread, but they don’t seem to miss him much as the club has gone 15-6 out of the gate to open up an early five game lead in the Division 2 Eastern Conference. The offense has led the way, ranking second to Denver in every offensive category that matters: the ‘Spos have scored 108 runs on 25 homers, while hitting .288/.347/.478 as a team. That result has truly been a team effort, with six Expos regulars notching an OPS+ of 120 or better, and 1B Juan Garcia at 195, best in the East. The pitching has been less assured, with Aaron Noel getting hammered to this point; that may become a long term issue. But for now, they are mashing, and its working.

Behind Montreal is a trio of expected contenders, all stuck in neutral at 10-11. The Nashville Sounds, coming back to D2 this season after demolishing Division 3, have pitched well as a team. But much of that is out of the bullpen, as two of their more reliable starters, Matthew Boyd and Andres Orozco, have hit speed bumps. And while Jonathan Cosner and Ivan Castillo have been two of the most reliable hitters in the Division, there’s not a lot of depth behind them yet. The Baltimore Terrapins are riding new ace Zack Root and so far it’s given them a team ERA better than all but San Diego’s in D2. But they haven’t hit at all, beyond the surprising play of Rookie of the Month Daniel Lopez. The Detroit Stars are in a similar position - the loss of Root hasn’t damaged their rotation much, but they rank just seventh in runs despite being top five in team homers, wOBA, OPS, and OBP.

The Ottawa Champions are a game back of Detroit, Baltimore, and Nashville at 9-12, but have lost their best bullpen arm in Xavier Sims; Sims is out for the season with a labrum tear. And the Toronto Maple Leafs, having been relegated in the offseason from D1, are attempting a turnaround rebuild; its first phase is seeing them go 6-15 in the season’s first month.

In the West, three teams share first place: the Ft. Worth Cats, St. Paul Saints, and Denver Bears have identical 13-8 records, though they have come by them in different ways.

The Bears have, simply, mashed their way to the top. No team in the NABF has scored more than their 119 runs, with young 3B Jimmy Egger having an astounding start to his season: the 25 year old took home the Batter of the Month award in D2 for April with a .378/.452/.838 line, 7 homers, and an NABF-best 1.9 WAR. Danny Dautel has homered eight times, and 26 year old RF Raymond Ramirez has an OPS a shade below 1.000. And while their pitching and defense haven’t been quite as dynamic, they haven’t been bad: the team is 5th in FIP, and the rotation has held together in the early going.

Fort Worth has done much of the same, but not as well in either case: the Cats have the Division’s third best run total, driven by their 24 year old 1B Mike McGuckin, who has slugged seven homers despite a .229 average. Young star CF Jesse Moeller, who lost half of last season to injury, hasn’t gotten his timing down yet, but Joseph Kovacs and 2B Scott Dohman have hit well to this point. The pitching, however, has been dreadful: the Cats rank 11th out of 12 in runs allowed, and beyond Ian Weaver and Yusuke Kondo, the rotation is a mess.

The Saint Paul Saints round out the top three in the West, but there are signs they may be playing above their heads: the Saints have allowed ten runs more than they’ve scored so far, and beyond a red-hot Ryan Finnegan they have no one who has been all that consistent offensively. The rotation has held, and Jerry Dudek continues to develop into an ace, but the bullpen has its share of holes.

Outside of those three, no one has distinguished themselves much. The San Diego Padres have allowed fewer runs that any other D2 club with a rotation that has been outstanding thus far, but the team FIP suggests the ERA is full of luck, and while Victor Ortiz has been among the best hitters in the Division, only two other players in the lineup have an OPS+ above 100. The Kansas City Monrachs have been hitting the ball well behind Mike Comer and Corey Stoute, but the pitching has been an unmitigated disaster as fans continue to wonder why the club dealt ace Rhett Frew in the offseason. And a year removed from their surprise Conference title, the Houston Buffaloes are stuck in the mud at 8-13 as Tony Adams seems to have sucked up all the offense: the LF is hitting .431/.481/.773 with seven homers, an outrageous 240 OPS+ and 253 wRC+. Justice Slaton continues to show that he deserves to be talked about as one of the best catchers in the game, too. But no one in Houston’s lineup has an OPS+ above 100, and the team hasn’t pitched well yet either.

D2 Batter of the Month: Jimmy Egger, 3B, Denver Bears - .378/.452/.838, 7 HR, 17 RBI, 1.9 WAR
D2 Pitcher of the Month: Justin Cole, SP, Toronto Maple Leafs - 3-0, 0.77 ERA, 33 K, 1.5 WAR
D2 Rookie of the Month: Daniel Lopez, RF, Baltimore Terrapins - .371/.429/.586, 13 2B, 11 R, 10 RBI, 0.8 WAR

[ArquimedezPozo]

Columbus fans probably broke into a sweat when they heard the news that star slugger Ricky Ponce, fresh off a 59 home run season that tied Steve Mauck’s D3 record, went down in the seventh inning of the first game of the season with a torn quadriceps. But the injury hasn’t stopped the Red Birds, who have followed up on their surprising finish last year with a 13-7 April, a half game above the Pittsburgh Crawfords in the standings. It’s been the pitching keeping them afloat so far, with D3’s best team ERA and two strong starts for 1-2 starters Marlon Alexander and Eric Kronburger. The offense is weak without Ponce, but the 26 year old should be back in the lineup by mid-May; if the pitching can hold, his return could jumpstart the team even further.

Pittsburgh has been, arguably, a bit better in the early going: they have the best run differential in the East at +22, with offensive production coming from unexpected players like 37 year old vet Manny Rodriguez, who is putting up a 157 OPS. That mark is fa higher than any in his career so far, so no one expects him to keep it up, but it has helped cover the gap until mainstays like Ghi-cheng Miao and Doug Jagger heat up. Young 1B Gary Murray has hit well in the first month too, hopefully a sign of a big year.

Below Pittsburgh, the Miami Amigos, Cleveland Spiders, and Atlanta Crackers are bunched within a game of each other. Miami and Cleveland are tied with 11-10 records; Miami, who dealt ace Paul Herrin to LA this offseason, has maintained its strong pitching tradition as Todd Bennett and Dylan Powers have been able to get the ball to otherworldly closer Pedro Llopiz. But Miami has scored just 70 runs, last in D3, with only Phil Beresford and Ryan Hayden giving them above average production. The Spiders have seen some bright spots in their rotation as well, with Malachi Moore leading the way. Steve Berg and Ryan Roland also each have ERAs below 3, though the back end has not been as impressive. But the Spiders haven’t gotten much going offensively, with much of their lineup hovering around average, along with their offense as a whole. And Atlanta has gotten a great start from RF Jeremy Figone, who has 7 homers and a 185 OPS, but Sam Stanton hasn’t hit up to his normally lofty standards yet. One glaring hole for Atlanta? The back end of their bullpen: while Xavier Mays is one of the best in the game, and Scott Gale and Jim Sloss give the Crackers a great setup team, it drops off fast from there. The Zephyrs round out the East, with a pitching staff that has gotten absolutely hammered in the early going, allowing 121 runs in their 21 games.

In the west, there’s a bit more separation. Salt Lake fans hope this year will make more sense than the last two, in which their Gulls finished a game out of first each year while playing below their expected record by several games. The Gulls have featured a booming offense for three years now, with nothing to show for it. They lead D3 in every major offensive category so far this season too, but at least as of now hold a game and a half lead in the West. What’s particularly impressive for the Gulls this year is that their most valuable hitter and their most valuable pitcher are both Rob Cady: the two-way SP/SS has long been a proactive hitter, but can now add a Pitcher of the Month award to his cabinet, as he’s won every start, going 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA.

The best hitter in D3, though, is playing first base for the second place Seals. Ian Farmer has been red hot since Game 1, and is hitting .320/.386/.733 with an NABF best nine homers and 1.4 WAR. The rest of the team hasn’t gotten much going, but Farmer has carried them this far. So have starters Jared Kraft and Jason Riddle, who are a combined 5-2 with an ERA in the high 1’s.

Sacramento, recently relegated from Division 2, has a 10-9 record that’s worse, probably, than where they should be: Sacramento’s offense has been one of the best in D3, and while the rotation hasn’t been able to get too deep into games thus far, the Division’s best bullpen has gotten them through. San Antonio, in their first ever taste of D3 competition, has struggled with the bat, but their underrated rotation led by Bill Lorentz and Pete Morin need only a little run support to get the team going. Austin and Portland sit tied at 9-13, sharing last place - neither has done much to distinguish themselves thus far.

D3 Batter of the Month: Ian Farmer, 1B, San Francisco Seals - .320/.386/.733, 9 HR, 19 RBI, 1.4 WAR
D3 Pitcher of the Month: Rob Cady, SP, Salt Lake Gulls - 5-0, 2.74, 28 K, 1.21 WHIP, 1 WAR (and 0.8 WAR as a hitter)
D3 Rookie of the Month: Chris Lilley, 1B, Austin Pioneers - .400/.471/.933, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 0.8 WAR (13 games)

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Hope springs eternal in Division 4 this year, as two long-time losers sit atop their respective Conferences - at least for now.

It has been over a decade since the Havana Sugar Kings had a winning season, and since they finally sank into Division 4. There was even talk last season of the Sugar Kings moving into the Mexican League and being replaced in D4, though nothing materialized. So Havana fans have to be wary of seeing their team at the top of the standings, but there’s no doubt they’ll take it. There are reasons for optimism: the offense hasn’t lit anything on fire yet, but they haven’t been bad, ranking middle of the pack in runs scored while getting solid production from veterans and younger hitters alike. And their rotation has been surprisingly good, even after the loss of new acquisition John Schaeffer to a herniated disc. But there are also reasons for doubt, starting with a -10 run differential. The good news there is that no one in D4 East is doing well in that regard, so this conference could be wide open.

The Washington Senators are the only team in D4 East with a positive run differential, at +2. The team has been driven early by a return to form from veteran Josh Hinthorne, who is hitting .317/.402/.549 with 5 homers. Hinthorne, who was a budding superstar with Baltimore when he came up, never quite lived up to that potential, though he went on to a solid career. He’s half a decade removed from his last productive season, though, so continued production like this would be a pleasant surprise indeed.

The Cincinnati Tigers are tied with Washington at 11-10, largely on the strength of their pitching: Paul Boden has been solid, though he hasn’t quite hit his stride yet; this is a young rotation, too, with some room to grow. A mostly veteran lineup needs to find some new ways to produce runs, though, if the Tigers hope to make noise here.

The Memphis Blues, Indianapolis Clowns, and Charlotte Hornets round out the East. The Blues have had some offense, most notably from 1B Eric Olson and SS Matt Rispoli, but not enough to overcome a pitching staff that - outside of new ace Rhett Frew - has been dreadful. The new ace has thrown 28 innings over 4 starts, with 41 strikeouts against only 6 walks. That’s good for a 13.2 K/9, contributing to his division-best 1.61 ERA and 1.33 FIP. Despite those results, he’s 1-1. The rest of the rotation… has been slightly worse, with an ERA over 5 as a group. In Indianapolis, meanwhile, they’re wondering where their ace went: Aaron Cottrell, one of the game’s most reliable starters, has a 5.08 ERA in the season’s first month. That’s fueled by a .334 BABIP, and his 3.16 FIP is right in line with his past four seasons, so the Clowns will hold steady with him. And then, finally, there’s Charlotte. Ernesto Gonzales is doing what he does, with a .325 BA and .811 OPS, and John McCollum’s power stroke has returned early after he fell below 30 homers in 2039. But they’re all the Hornets have in their lineup, and the pitching staff needs significant intervention.

Out west, it’s the Las Vegas 51s who carry a slim lead in the conference. Unlike Havana, though, they seem to have earned it: the 51s have the best run differential in the Division at +47, with both the most runs scored and fewest allowed. Catcher Josh Killion may finally be having that breakout season so many have been waiting for, as he’s hit 5 homers to go with a .324 average and .387 OBP. RF Pat Kisiel has been a surprise this year as well, and currently holds D4’s best OBP at .457. But this team scored 673 runs last year, so the offense isn’t a shock. What’s surprising is how impressive the pitching has been: 24 year old Chad Mealey has the rotation’s worst ERA at 3.60, and the staff overall tops D4 in every meaningful category except Ks, where they rank 5th. Mealey is still developing, but the 51s see him as a potential ace, perhaps as early as this year. If the run prevention holds, this team could be looking at their first Conference title since 2015, the second longest Conference Title drought in the NABF after Atlanta.

The Phoenix Firebirds, meanwhile, are only a year removed from three conference titles in a row, including their first franchise championship in 2038. They have the talent to get back, and are second to the 51s in runs scored even with 2039 D4 MVP Matt Armstrong struggling in the early going. Few hitters in the NABF have been hotter than RF Francisco Cabrera, who is hitting .409/.429/.591 despite only a single homer; the 25 year old already has 9 doubles, a pace of 66. And while staff ace Kerry Chumley and new international free agent Ikki Hara have been hit hard in April, the rest of the rotation has been excellent, including Nick Kouri, who was D4’s Pitcher of the Month with an even 1.00 in four starts.

Aside from Vegas, the only team with better pitching in D4 has been the Milwaukee Brewers, led by one of the Division’s best young pitchers in Ben Eliopoulos. Eliopoulos has an 0-2 record, but that’s on the offense as the New York native and former first round pick has a 1.94 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in his four starts so far. Milwaukee’s problem has been a complete lack of offense: this has arguably been the worst offense in the Division, ranking last in OBP, SLG, OPS, and wOBA, with an almost unbelievably low 0.3 Batting WAR.

Albuquerque, St. Louis, and Calgary sit at the bottom of the standings, but Albuquerque isn’t as bad as their record, with a +4 run differential and strong contributions from Randy Ahern (.415/.443/.598), D.J. Moskowitz (.354/.384/.524), and SP Renato Cantimori (2.90 ERA and 43K in 40 IP). The Dukes could make some noise, soon.

D4 Batter of the Month: Pat Grimes, 2B, Phoenix Firebirds - .384/.413/.640, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 1.3 WAR
D4 Pitcher of the Month: Nick Kouri, SP, Phoenix Firebirds - 3-0, 1.00 ERA, 14 K, 0.75 WHIP, 1.1 WAR
D4 Rookie of the Month: Tommie Moree, SP, Phoenix Firebirds - 3-0, 1.53 ERA, 34 K, 0.85 WHIP, 1.2 WAR

[ArquimedezPozo]

The Eastern Conference
Coming into the All-Star break, the D1 East is up for grabs. And while the New York Giants still seem like the team to beat, they’re not in first: that position belongs to the season’s biggest surprise, the Boston Bees. The Bees, back in D1 for the first time since Cycle 9, have a two game lead on New York after spending the season’s first month in the cellar. The club ripped off eight straight wins between May 5 and May 12 before treading water the rest of the month, but it was in June that they really took off: 18-10 with another 8 game win streak. They’re 9-4 in July, seemingly only improving. The Whales, in fifth place looking up, may be regretting their decision to cut ties with Armando Orozco now, as he is a Pitcher of the Year contender for Boston - the 26 year old is 13-3 with a 2.56 ERA and 164 K in just over 137 innings. Young OF team Aaron Kelly (.306/.353/.567) and Adam Andersen (.284/.318/.499) each have 16 homers. This is a team that is suddenly turning heads.

The best run differential in D1, though, belongs to the Giants, to no one’s surprise. The Giants have had the game’s best offense for several years running, and with some luck could challenge the all-time single season team runs record of 895, set by… the 2026 New York Giants. 25 year old Luis Nazario is turning into a star before our eyes this year, with a .314/./.369/.632 line, 31 homers, and 85 RBI. He leads D1 in an array of categories, including SLG, OPS, hits, runs, Total Bases, and wOBA, in addition to RBI and home runs. That HR number, by the way, puts him right on pace to tie the D1 single season mark of 54, set by Francisco Carreno in 2011 and tied by Carson Prince last season. 2B Andrew Fitts has returned from a strained groin that put him on the shelf for six weeks, and hasn’t missed a beat, demolishing D1 pitchers to the tune of .347/.454/.785, a 1.289 OPS, in 39 games since his return. Alex Parga, Matt Wood, Jose Cruz, and Danny Loaiza all have OPS+ over 120. This team can flat out rake. Their problem, maybe surprisingly, lies in their pitching. Willie Rodriguez has solid underlying stats, but the on the field results haven’t followed due in part to a .304 BABIP. Jon Sayre, similarly, has been good but not great after a strong start. The rotation as a whole has given up runs at a rate higher than seven other D1 clubs, and the bullpen has been something of a mess below ace closer Ryan Ratliff. This will be an area Steve Vance will be taking a long look at as the trade deadline approaches.

The Tampa Tarpons spent some time in first during May and June, and still hover only a game and a half back of New York. The biggest reason for their success is Bill Vernon, who would probably be the Division MVP if the season ended today: Vernon has been electric out of the two hole, batting .340 with a .412 OBP while slugging .546 - nine homers, six triples, and 28 doubles, tied with teammate Willie Soto and behind only El Paso’s Joe Rison, who has 29. Coupled with his excellent defense, that hitting has earned him 4.9 WAR at the All-Star break, a pace of 8.4 - that would put him in the top 20 all-time in D1. While others in the Tampa lineup have hit fairly well, there’s no question that this team will go as Vernon goes this year - if he fades, they won’t get any higher than they are now. In large part that’s because their pitching has been subpar, with Drew Robinson (8-4, 3.31 ERA) their only reliable starter, and a bullpen that has struggled to close things out.

The Dodgers are still alive, but at 45-45 they need a big second half from a surprisingly quiet offense. Carson Prince’s season so far (.311/.372/.563) would be outstanding for anyone else, but for Brooklyn’s three-time D1 MVP it’s a down year. CF Adam Slagle has mountains of promise, but so far he’s been a foothill, while Dane Best is having his second straight pedestrian year two years after his breakout 2038. Getting RF John Brucia off the IL would improve things a great deal, but they’ll need more than that to catch the Bees and Giants.

Chicago (41-48) and Philadelphia (35-55) round out the East. Nothing has worked in Chicago, and it’s hard to pinpoint a reason. Both Corey Spry and Jason Hummell are on the IL until at least September, so the pitching has taken a hit, even with Eduardo Fernandez performing at ace-level and in the early Pitcher of the Year conversation. But even if the two injured aces suddenly returned, this is an offense that can’t stop being mediocre, and that’s not going to get it done. Philadelphia, too, has lost an ace, as Josh Argo is likely done for the season after surgery to relieve nerve compression in his elbow. After a great start, Pedro Luna has returned to earth as well, 5-9 with a 3.44 ERA. But Philly's offense is even worse than Chicago's, without any hope of improvement. They seem destined for a last place finish, and are a real threat for relegation for the first time in franchise history.

The Western Conference

This is Seattle’s conference to lose right now, as the Steelheads have rebounded from a disappointing 2039 to become the class of Division 1. They’re 57-33, a full ten games up on the Los Angeles Angels, and as good an all-around team as you’ll find. There are no real easy outs in this lineup, though Marcos Diaz has scuffled; still, star catcher Roger Alvarado has been outstanding and until a recent cold snap was a possible MVP candidate. The recent drop in his production has been replaced by that of Mike Hood, who has come alive after a slow start - he’s hit .333/.404/.595 in July. Greg Allen, who the club signed as a free agent before 2039 and who looked something like a bust in his first full season in the PNW, has been flat-out raking: he’s hitting .296/.359/.542 with 14 homers on the year, and has been the club’s best hitter for the last two months. The pitching has been just as good, with as good a 1-2-3 as you’ll find in Jeff Baltimore (9-1, 2.40), Travis Stewart (12-2, 2.44) and Toshio Nimiya (12-2, 3.20) leading the division’s best rotation. Look for the Steelheads to try to improve in the pen over the next couple of weeks - it’s their only real weakness.

The Angels have been solid, but haven’t mounted much of a challenge to Seattle yet. It’s been an odd year for the Halos, who boast two incredible aces in Paul Herrin and Doug Kluz, but who have an offense full of stars who simply haven’t produced many runs. Jon Segura is the biggest bright spot here: the young slugger is hitting .299/.336/.592 and challenging for the division lead in homers at 28. And Brian Weisman has in some ways been even better this year than in his incredible debut season, though he’s missed time to nagging injury. But beyond them, there’s been very little: Ryan Haymes has cooled off since a quick start and is now threatening to slide below average in terms of offensive production, while promising young 2B Jaheim Johnson has been underwater all season. And while the Angels are very high on young LF Matt McCoy, he has to make adjustments if he’s going to do what they believe he’s capable of.

Beyond Seattle and LA, no team in the West has a winning record. The defending titleholder Industriales haven’t been hitting; while it looked for a while like a uniform change had breathed new life into Benni Phillips, he has been essentially league average since mid-May. 2B David McConnell has been outstanding, making Chase Maze’s renaissance in Sacramento a little more palatable, but the club has lacked offensive consistency all season long, and while the rotation has largely done its job, it hasn;t been enough to get the club anywhere over .500. After briefly flirting with contention, the El Paso Sun Kings have slipped to fourth, and there’s reason for concern given the lack of production from sparkplug Joe Rison and former MVP Brian Castrovinci, neither of whom are living up to the standards they’ve set for themselves. Tijuana is still aiting for that rebuild to take hold, and Vancouver… well, right now, the Mounties are on pace to shatter the D1 record for fewest runs scored, currently held by the Potros, as they’ve scored just a bit more than 3 runs per game, a 477 run pace. Leo Rodriguez is only one man, and without him there’s no telling how bad things would be; as it stands, they’re on pace to lose 100 games.

First half MVP: Bill Vernon, LF, Tampa Tarpons - .340/.412/.546, 9 HR, 28 2B, 51 RBI, 171 wRC+, 4.9 WAR
Runners-up: Luis Nazario, 1B, New York Giants and Leo Rodriguez, 3B, Vancouver Mounties

First half Pitcher of the Year: Eduardo Fernandez, SP, Chicago Whales - 10-3, 1.90 ERA, 125 K in 127 IP, 3. WAR
Runners-up: Paul Herrin, SP, Los Angeles Angels and Jeff Baltimore, SP, Seattle Steelheads

First half Rookie of the Year: Tony Galvez, 1B, Philadelphia Athletics - .278/.323/.419, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 0.8 WAR

Milestones

• Matt Wood socked his 300th career homer on July 11, only the second catcher to cross that mark after Hall of Famer Jose Molina. Molina’s all-time mark of 335 seems very much within reach for the Giants’ 34 year old captain.
• T.J. Carcone broke the NABF career triples mark last year, and this year has become the only player in the history of the Federation with over 200 three-baggers. He enters the All-Star break with 201 in his career, four of which have come in 2040.
• The Vancouver Mounties are on pace to break the Division 1 single season record for fewest runs scored, by a wide margin. The record, set by Tijuana in 2018, is 523; Vancouver is on pace to cross the plate just 477 times this year.