The Jenkins Division is home to last year’s BDB Champions the Hamilton Splitterz and the league’s weakest division.
Hamilton should have no trouble repeating as Division Champions, but repeating as BDB Champions will be a whole other challenge. Hamilton’s offense is not as strong as other contenders and their pitching not as sharp. However, one knows that all it takes is a few mid season trades to fix any glaring weaknesses.
The offense is sparked by youngster McCutchen and the top of the lineup and anchored by late bloomer Chase Headley and Albert Pujols in the middle of the lineup. Ben Zobrist and Jay Bruce produce middle of the order power which should keep any staff on its toes throughout the duration of the lineup.
The starting staff although functional lack the depth of other contenders. Social Struggling Zack Grienke leads the way followed by Jordan Zimmerman. After that … it’s anybody’s guess who will stand out. However, in this division that might be enough to contend. Jimmy Johnson is a capable closer, who relies more on ground ball outs than strikeouts as most closers do. Backing up Johnson is a bevy of arms of no particular importance. If there is a weakness on this team, it’s the arms. Look for a possible late season collapse by Hamilton.
Waterloo Wrath: Scott Beauchamp is in the unique position of doing what no other owner since Cam Lee managed since the early 2000’s is to be a legitimate contender. If Waterloo can manage to steal five wins from Hamilton and the rest of the division, it will be them playing in the league’s Championship rounds. Their pitching staff is stronger than Hamilton’s and their offense a few runs short.
Fernando Rodney should prove to be almost a guarantee close in the final innings of any game and he is adequately supported by nine other relievers unlike Hamilton’s four!
The rotation is led by knuckleballer RA Dickey followed by veteran Dempster and youngsters Miley and Diamond. It could be a dogfight in the Jenkins Division … with inter division games playing of particular importance.
The offense is no where near as talented as other teams, with not near as much long ball talent. However there are plenty of players who have the ability to get on base. It will be interesting to see of this offense can keep the team in the hunt of the playoffs… or will they wilt in the Dog Days of August. What this division will come down to is how long will Hamilton’s bullpen last? If they falter quickly, look for a consistent competitor to overtake.
Langley enters the season with an offense that rivals contenders like Sao Paulo, but a pitching staff appears to be as solid as North Bay’s … close to worst in the league. This could prove to be in Langley’s favor should they be out of contention in the early goings with such veteran hitters such as Aramis Ramirez, Ryan Ludwick, Matt Holliday and Curtis Granderson could be made available to those teams looking to get a but more punch to get over the hump. Look for owner Sambrook to do no favors for BDB Champion Jordan Spoelstra as Spoelstra spoiled Langley’s chances last year of being a contender.
The top pitcher on this team is James Shields with his 3.52 ERA … not a strong start, especially when followed by Chris Capuano at 3.72. The bullpen is strong though and could also provide needy teams with plenty of trade opportunities in the mid season. Langley is an after thought
North Bay: Once the strongest team in the league for years, the Trapper ownership seems committed to setting a new trend by rebuilding through the draft. This season the Trappers shipped out two of the top hitters in the league in Robinson Cano and Miguel Cabrera for several draft picks and plenty of young arms.
North Bay is banking on youngsters Paul Goldschmidt, Brandon Belt, Bryce Harper, Sterling Marte and Mike Mosuatkas to evolve into true Major League talent. North Bay features 13 players under the age of 25, so committed they are.
Pitching wise, it’s the same story. Shelby Miller leads an impressive young group of pitchers who would take two to three years to evolve into solid major league talent. North Bay is also sitting on plenty of missed opportunity pitchers who might finally break out… including Brandon Morrow, James MacDonald and Clay Buchholz. The anticipation for this season will be watching how these players do in MLB 2013