eMLB’s 2009 Preseason Rankings
Once again I do my preseason rankings. It is based on current teams lineups and baring a major catastrophe I feel most of the playoff teams will make it. As we all know nobody is perfect but I do get most right every year. The difference between teams 2 thru 5 is minor. Any of those teams I could make 2 or 5.
1. Mid-Michigan Tigers I was shocked after looking at his teams current lineup to see that Keith might have finally broken the jinx of making the eMLB playoffs. Yet top to bottom he has the most complete team leading into the season. They will have plenty of power when injury strikes to keep it going. With this group that will happen. Utley/Burrell will lead that department with Ichiro/Win taking the speed. I can see this team winning 5-6 hitting stats a week. That alone will keep him in every week. Pitching has a nice mix of Vets and youth. If I had to find a weakness it’s the closers and depth. Wilson is horrible and Percival we don’t know how long he will last. If he needs to use his depth he might need to trade some contracts to bulk up.
2. South Texas Heat Berg was able to move an expiring contract for another 1st and will help him for the next 3 years. Moving Utley/Dunn hurt overall but long term helped by getting Ramirez/Kazmir for longer. Still even with that he has a well rounded offense. Will need a few guys to rebound or step it up. Davis/Konerko/Hart. The teams weakness on offense will be BA and Speed. Still should lock up 3-4 each week. The SP is the real question mark. 4 of the top 5 SP have injury questions and age. They have 2 elite closers and good setup men for holds. What this team lacks is solid depth. They had Drew to help which is good but then nothing. SP pretty much the same.
Once again I do my preseason rankings. It is based on current teams lineups and baring a major catastrophe I feel most of the playoff teams will make it. As we all know nobody is perfect but I do get most right every year. The difference between teams 2 thru 5 is minor. Any of those teams I could make 2 or 5.
1. Mid-Michigan Tigers I was shocked after looking at his teams current lineup to see that Keith might have finally broken the jinx of making the eMLB playoffs. Yet top to bottom he has the most complete team leading into the season. They will have plenty of power when injury strikes to keep it going. With this group that will happen. Utley/Burrell will lead that department with Ichiro/Win taking the speed. I can see this team winning 5-6 hitting stats a week. That alone will keep him in every week. Pitching has a nice mix of Vets and youth. If I had to find a weakness it’s the closers and depth. Wilson is horrible and Percival we don’t know how long he will last. If he needs to use his depth he might need to trade some contracts to bulk up.
2. South Texas Heat Berg was able to move an expiring contract for another 1st and will help him for the next 3 years. Moving Utley/Dunn hurt overall but long term helped by getting Ramirez/Kazmir for longer. Still even with that he has a well rounded offense. Will need a few guys to rebound or step it up. Davis/Konerko/Hart. The teams weakness on offense will be BA and Speed. Still should lock up 3-4 each week. The SP is the real question mark. 4 of the top 5 SP have injury questions and age. They have 2 elite closers and good setup men for holds. What this team lacks is solid depth. They had Drew to help which is good but then nothing. SP pretty much the same.
3. New Jersey Mets I can’t be top this year. As the Tigers have too much fire power but with the moves I made and the depth I got I will once again make another playoff run. I don’t have any super studs. Most of the time my team doesn’t have that. Yet I don’t have any real weakness positions either. Power is split among the whole team and the same for speed. I could have 6 guys in double digits in SB. The hitting I should win 5 stats a week with only BB my weakness. SP is more solid this year then last. Have 2 ACE SP in Baker and Shields. Danks finally turned corner and will be a decent 3rd. Kershaw and Uehara I am hoping will be ok for back of the rotation fillers at least until Smoltz and Escobar come back. If they do I could have the best rotation in the league. The pen is deep with 3 closers and secured backup men. Should not be an issue all year unlike last season.
4. Olivet Killer Eagles Larry was pretty much AWOL last year but still managed some deadline deals that set him up going into draft. Having a decent draft position helped. Power is not going to be a problem for this team. Like the Mets they have a lot of mid range power. That will help keep this team up near top all year. They are a bit light on SB but nothing that can’t be adjusted if they need to. Outside of Guillen no real depth which is most teams issues. They have a good 1-2-3 punch in SP. C.C/Haren/Billingsley all solid. If Wandy can build and Maine can keep from walking he might have the best staff. The weakness is saves. They have one closer. The setup men will provide enough holds to keep him in contention each weak. The need for a 2nd closer will have to be addressed. The only reason they are not 2nd is BB/Saves/SB. Still they could easily make that up.
5. Julian Javelina Hoyle did a great job setting his team up for one more run. Sacrificing future for that shot might have put him in contention. As he got better value by taking expiring contracts then he would have if he took players in the draft. He has similar issues that olivet has. Power is solid with RUNS/RBI but SB is going to be an issue. Same for BB. No real BA issues and will win that most weeks. Trading for Oswalt will help the youngsters. If Young can bounce back he will be fine with a 1-2-3. Another issue will be Saves. One closer but good setup men. If Glaus comes back strong he might be able to move a player or 2 to get another closer or an SS that will help. That could move them up to winning the division. As it stands now he will be a Wild card.
6. Michigan Miracles Last year I had this team a playoff spot and totally disappointed. Now I don’t have as much high hopes but they are a bubble team right now. Overall the team is decent but need to make some moves to solidify their playoff spot. They have decent power/runs/rbi.. But BA/BB/SB is an area they could improve. Winning 3 stats a week on offense will usually not cut it as you need to rely on a staff and most teams can’t do that. They lack an ACE type player and will hope that staff can keep them in contention for ERA/WHIP. Lack of K’s will prove to be an issue as he uses more SP to offset it. Having 3 possible closers gives him depth and trade bait. The depth isn’t bad and could be used to improve other areas. Look for Renner to be active molding his team.
7. Gaylord Dingers Wagner fell apart last year as predicted. Lack of depth and questionable draft picks set him back. Yet at deadline they made some nice moves to put him back into contention. Once again they struggled in the draft but not as bad as last year. Still the top 3 hitting stats will be fine. SB should be ok as long as Furcal/Crawford return to form. BA could be an issue also. Still most weeks they will in the hitting. Now the reason I don’t have this team in the top 6. SP is all questionable. Not one proven guy to keep them going. Vazquez their top SP will need to return to form he saw once since his Expos days. I am not a believer. He has one closer and a shaky one. They can some how stabilize their staff and pen they could once again visit the playoffs.
8. Knoxville Possums I say it every year but if this was a dynasty league Pat would have an awesome team. His draft picks of future studs is on. The problem is theis league is only 2-3 year keeper league and usually he signs a 3 year contract only for them to turn it on at end of contract. Half of his offense is studs. The other is built on guys who miight someday be studs but most likely not now. Still offensively they will be in it every week. The SP on the other hand is one of the leagues worst. All of them have no long term success. Edinson is his best and is a good long term SP. Hopefully not 3 year for his sake. Wood/K-Rod is a nice pair of closers. Yet the setup men are weak for holds. If they can get some their SP to stabilize then they might be able to make a playoff run. Either way they are building a nice team for 2010.
9. Carolina Yankees Some felt Chris was distracted during the draft. I think he might have been a little. While he did a good job of trying to address all areas I don’t think he has enough horses to make a run. Top to bottom offensively he’s not that bad but very little improvement chances. If Wiggy can start and Maybin proves to be starter material this year it might help offensively. No real SB to take that stat every week and one guy to BB plus low BA makes each week a fight. The SP is this teams strength. Halladay/Zambrano anchors this team and if Lirano finally achieves his draft ranking they will be up there for ERA/WHIP/K’s. 2 solid closers and decent setup men finishes off their staff. They will need to make some moves hitting wise if they think they can make a run.
10. Nothside Ballas They did a nice job of addressing the 6 offensive stats but lack the amount of studs to make a playoff run. They have Fielder/Victorino/Youkilis but after that have real question marks. He will be competitive in the offensive stats each week except BB is lite. Look for them to take 4-5 offensive stats every week. Santana anchors this team and if can stay healthy will keep this team in ERA/K’s/WHIP each week. Johnson and Lester will by far help keep that stable. They have 2 closers but both are risky options. If they turn out to be decent and get another bat or 2 they might be able to make playoffs.
11. Dallas Redbirds Well Doyel was able to pull his team out of the lottery area with a decent draft. Addressed the major issues in the power department. Problem was he ignored the SB side. No way Holliday steals even 20 this year and Figgins alone can’t do it cause hes hurt a lot. They have good BB but BA is a major issue. If Pierre finds a fulltime gig he could move up a spot or 2. The SP used to be this teams focus but I think has more question marks this year. Risking Price so early means no real upside for him. Taking him at his high point can only lead to disappointment. Nobody questions his long term but the problem teams have is judging when. Price is a few years from studville. See King Felix. One closer in Bell and needs Ray to take over to get a 2nd. Holds will be issue as we don’t know how that will play out. Still if Doyel can make some moves and some pan out he might make it interesting.
12. Springfield Slammers I first thought this was going to be a playoff team but after I looked closer at them and the other teams I see he has a decent amount of work to do in order to make the playoffs. First needs Posada/Zimmerman/Jeter/Young all to improve back to what they were or should be. If that happens they can be bumped up a lot. Consistent hitting is an issue for them. They also lack another major SB threat after Upton. You can’t win SB on one guy every week. BA will be ok every week and BB is solid. They have a decent staff and K’s will not be an issue. Ok pen in 2 closers and decent setup men. Overall this team isn’t that bad but if they address some of their offensive issues I could see a run.
13. Encinitas Beach Bums Darren one day will put it together but this is another wash year. His top player AROD out until May probably knocked him down further then they should be but after him their offense is avg at best. Will be ok in the Runs/HR/RBI department and as long as Gomez hits he will be in the running for SB each week. No guy to help on the BB side and BA is avg. Team is anchored by Harden but we all know he won’t stay healthy. After Harden is Nolasco and Bedard. If their SP can stay healthy he will be a consolidation team. Locked up the Cubs closer and Francisco should be closing in Texas. Setup is not bad. Hopefully they make some moves to position them for next year.
14. North Texas Rangers Adrian tried to pull a Hoyle in trading his draft picks for better players but he gave more then he got. He has 5 great players on offense but it falls fast after that to the point his team will either be very hot or very cold. Making battles each week very difficult. Top 3 stats will be decent but SB/BA will be issues all year. Beckett his ACE but the rest are shots in the dark. He has 2 closers but setup is weak. No depth makes improvement difficult which is why they are down here.
15 Wisconsin Brewers Storlie will complain about this ranking but I have a hard time seeing how they can make a playoff run. Tea is built around Longoria/Reyes/Sizemore but then what’s left? Reyes and Sizemore will help this team win SB most weeks but they should have another speed guy. BB is below avg and BA is avg. Peavy and Cain anchor this staff and that’s not a bad 1-2 but Parra/Gallaher/Volstad allquestion marks. Most won’t be in the lineup by All Star. Capps is a nice closer and has Ziegler also for now but how long?? Setup ok.. I don’t think Storlie has the current horses now or the depth to make a run. Best bets for them is to make moves at deadline to get some good contracts for next year. Maybe the they make it back to playoffs.
16. ES Black Sox Well somebody has to be last and John by far has the worst team. Just look at the big 3 hitting and you can see that he doesn’t have the horses to compete. Has a few nice hitters but the rest is all avg. He will lose most of the hitting every week. Coles/King Felix lead this team then we have to wonder whats next?? One closer and some decent Setup but unfortunately not enough of a staff to offset the hitting loss. Hopefully John makes the moves to build on 2010.
5. Julian Javelina Hoyle did a great job setting his team up for one more run. Sacrificing future for that shot might have put him in contention. As he got better value by taking expiring contracts then he would have if he took players in the draft. He has similar issues that olivet has. Power is solid with RUNS/RBI but SB is going to be an issue. Same for BB. No real BA issues and will win that most weeks. Trading for Oswalt will help the youngsters. If Young can bounce back he will be fine with a 1-2-3. Another issue will be Saves. One closer but good setup men. If Glaus comes back strong he might be able to move a player or 2 to get another closer or an SS that will help. That could move them up to winning the division. As it stands now he will be a Wild card.
6. Michigan Miracles Last year I had this team a playoff spot and totally disappointed. Now I don’t have as much high hopes but they are a bubble team right now. Overall the team is decent but need to make some moves to solidify their playoff spot. They have decent power/runs/rbi.. But BA/BB/SB is an area they could improve. Winning 3 stats a week on offense will usually not cut it as you need to rely on a staff and most teams can’t do that. They lack an ACE type player and will hope that staff can keep them in contention for ERA/WHIP. Lack of K’s will prove to be an issue as he uses more SP to offset it. Having 3 possible closers gives him depth and trade bait. The depth isn’t bad and could be used to improve other areas. Look for Renner to be active molding his team.
7. Gaylord Dingers Wagner fell apart last year as predicted. Lack of depth and questionable draft picks set him back. Yet at deadline they made some nice moves to put him back into contention. Once again they struggled in the draft but not as bad as last year. Still the top 3 hitting stats will be fine. SB should be ok as long as Furcal/Crawford return to form. BA could be an issue also. Still most weeks they will in the hitting. Now the reason I don’t have this team in the top 6. SP is all questionable. Not one proven guy to keep them going. Vazquez their top SP will need to return to form he saw once since his Expos days. I am not a believer. He has one closer and a shaky one. They can some how stabilize their staff and pen they could once again visit the playoffs.
8. Knoxville Possums I say it every year but if this was a dynasty league Pat would have an awesome team. His draft picks of future studs is on. The problem is theis league is only 2-3 year keeper league and usually he signs a 3 year contract only for them to turn it on at end of contract. Half of his offense is studs. The other is built on guys who miight someday be studs but most likely not now. Still offensively they will be in it every week. The SP on the other hand is one of the leagues worst. All of them have no long term success. Edinson is his best and is a good long term SP. Hopefully not 3 year for his sake. Wood/K-Rod is a nice pair of closers. Yet the setup men are weak for holds. If they can get some their SP to stabilize then they might be able to make a playoff run. Either way they are building a nice team for 2010.
9. Carolina Yankees Some felt Chris was distracted during the draft. I think he might have been a little. While he did a good job of trying to address all areas I don’t think he has enough horses to make a run. Top to bottom offensively he’s not that bad but very little improvement chances. If Wiggy can start and Maybin proves to be starter material this year it might help offensively. No real SB to take that stat every week and one guy to BB plus low BA makes each week a fight. The SP is this teams strength. Halladay/Zambrano anchors this team and if Lirano finally achieves his draft ranking they will be up there for ERA/WHIP/K’s. 2 solid closers and decent setup men finishes off their staff. They will need to make some moves hitting wise if they think they can make a run.
10. Nothside Ballas They did a nice job of addressing the 6 offensive stats but lack the amount of studs to make a playoff run. They have Fielder/Victorino/Youkilis but after that have real question marks. He will be competitive in the offensive stats each week except BB is lite. Look for them to take 4-5 offensive stats every week. Santana anchors this team and if can stay healthy will keep this team in ERA/K’s/WHIP each week. Johnson and Lester will by far help keep that stable. They have 2 closers but both are risky options. If they turn out to be decent and get another bat or 2 they might be able to make playoffs.
11. Dallas Redbirds Well Doyel was able to pull his team out of the lottery area with a decent draft. Addressed the major issues in the power department. Problem was he ignored the SB side. No way Holliday steals even 20 this year and Figgins alone can’t do it cause hes hurt a lot. They have good BB but BA is a major issue. If Pierre finds a fulltime gig he could move up a spot or 2. The SP used to be this teams focus but I think has more question marks this year. Risking Price so early means no real upside for him. Taking him at his high point can only lead to disappointment. Nobody questions his long term but the problem teams have is judging when. Price is a few years from studville. See King Felix. One closer in Bell and needs Ray to take over to get a 2nd. Holds will be issue as we don’t know how that will play out. Still if Doyel can make some moves and some pan out he might make it interesting.
12. Springfield Slammers I first thought this was going to be a playoff team but after I looked closer at them and the other teams I see he has a decent amount of work to do in order to make the playoffs. First needs Posada/Zimmerman/Jeter/Young all to improve back to what they were or should be. If that happens they can be bumped up a lot. Consistent hitting is an issue for them. They also lack another major SB threat after Upton. You can’t win SB on one guy every week. BA will be ok every week and BB is solid. They have a decent staff and K’s will not be an issue. Ok pen in 2 closers and decent setup men. Overall this team isn’t that bad but if they address some of their offensive issues I could see a run.
13. Encinitas Beach Bums Darren one day will put it together but this is another wash year. His top player AROD out until May probably knocked him down further then they should be but after him their offense is avg at best. Will be ok in the Runs/HR/RBI department and as long as Gomez hits he will be in the running for SB each week. No guy to help on the BB side and BA is avg. Team is anchored by Harden but we all know he won’t stay healthy. After Harden is Nolasco and Bedard. If their SP can stay healthy he will be a consolidation team. Locked up the Cubs closer and Francisco should be closing in Texas. Setup is not bad. Hopefully they make some moves to position them for next year.
14. North Texas Rangers Adrian tried to pull a Hoyle in trading his draft picks for better players but he gave more then he got. He has 5 great players on offense but it falls fast after that to the point his team will either be very hot or very cold. Making battles each week very difficult. Top 3 stats will be decent but SB/BA will be issues all year. Beckett his ACE but the rest are shots in the dark. He has 2 closers but setup is weak. No depth makes improvement difficult which is why they are down here.
15 Wisconsin Brewers Storlie will complain about this ranking but I have a hard time seeing how they can make a playoff run. Tea is built around Longoria/Reyes/Sizemore but then what’s left? Reyes and Sizemore will help this team win SB most weeks but they should have another speed guy. BB is below avg and BA is avg. Peavy and Cain anchor this staff and that’s not a bad 1-2 but Parra/Gallaher/Volstad allquestion marks. Most won’t be in the lineup by All Star. Capps is a nice closer and has Ziegler also for now but how long?? Setup ok.. I don’t think Storlie has the current horses now or the depth to make a run. Best bets for them is to make moves at deadline to get some good contracts for next year. Maybe the they make it back to playoffs.
16. ES Black Sox Well somebody has to be last and John by far has the worst team. Just look at the big 3 hitting and you can see that he doesn’t have the horses to compete. Has a few nice hitters but the rest is all avg. He will lose most of the hitting every week. Coles/King Felix lead this team then we have to wonder whats next?? One closer and some decent Setup but unfortunately not enough of a staff to offset the hitting loss. Hopefully John makes the moves to build on 2010.
1 comment:
enjoyable reading as always-pat
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