BDB 2015 Here We Come

Baseball experts tell us that there are nine games in a single season, really, truly come down to luck.  Whether it’s a number nine hitter, connecting on a 97 MPH fastball and squeaking a two run single passed the diving arms of the shortstop or a relieving corps that just can’t stop giving out walks like parents give out candy on Hallowe’en, there are elements of luck involved in the greatest game.  Experts tell is, there are nine games like this, and if you are really, really lucky, you might come out on top of all those nine games.

So, some of the ways that owners can effect the outcome are better use of their pens, defence and of course timely lineup adjustments including proper platoons.

It’s with this in mind that we preview our BDB 2015 Baseball Season and my predicted order of finish for each division, largely based on WAR (Wins Above Replacement)

Robinson Division

Solid Contenders:  Bristol and Montreal

Longshot:  Ottawa

Real Longshot:  Beaconsfield

Every year, Bristol is pretty much always the favourite for the past 15 years, however have only managed to win once in that time period, so predictions here don’t seem to be 100%.  They got the arms and the bats, so they should be fine.  Their pitching staff is tops in the league, so that gives them an edge, but they’ve been there before with that label.  Expect a lot of homeruns by this team so it will depend if they are with men on base or not.

Montreal is not to far behind who along with Beaconsfield have made a lot of pre-season adjustments to compete this season.  They feature sold defence and of course have great pitching and hitting as well.

The interesting longshot is Ottawa.  Guess who has one of the best pitching staffs in the league?  Who would have thought?  What’s interesting is that they even went and traded the 4th overall pick for an aging tub of goo that realistically could have been picked up with a 6th rounder, imagine if they added Syndengaard to their staff?  If the league bends towards pitching, Ottawa could make things exciting in the final months.

Beaconsfield, oh Beaconsfield, is there a team that works harder year by year to win the title?  I think not.  Even before the end of the last season, I believe the Pathfinders had twenty trades lined up.    I don’t believe they have the firepower to compete, not the arms to shut down the opponents.  They will be a tough fourth place team in the division though.

Jenkins Division

Lock of the Year:  North Bay.

Long Shot for Wildcard:  Waterloo

Shooting for the Number One Draft Position:  Langley and Hamilton

This is the easiest division to call.  North Bay has been in rebuilt mode since 2011 when they decided that in order to build another dynasty, a complete overhaul was needed.  It looks like now is the time has arrived.  North Bay goes into the season with a legitimate chance at 100 wins and a contender for the title once again.  Now, 100 wins may seem impressive, but they are playing in the easiest division in BDB, so they are handicapped BIG time.

Waterloo has a shot at a .500 season, but I don’t think they have the thunder to do much damage. Perhaps they get hot and contend for a Wild Card spot, its possible if some deft trades are made.

Hamilton and Langley are the tale of two very different teams.  Langley has been struggling for a long time, and sadly, when they had strong positional draft picks, they didn’t benefit very well from them.  They have had some gems, and not for lack of trying, their prospects just haven’t dealt much damage.

Hamilton, who on the other hand, has been a shining star for several of the last years.  We are not too sure if this is a total rebuild, or a half measured one.  I guess all will depend on the rookies that have been picked up this past draft.  Sambrook hasn’t had the best of luck, but he is hoping Kris Bryant turns the team \around, unlike last year’s first round pick of Mike Foltynewicz.

Frobel Division

Solid Neck and Neck Contenders:  Sao Paulo, Yorkshire, Sacramento.

No Chance for Division or Last Place:  Nassau.

Its going to be the OK Corral for these guys, with the last team standing walking into automatic contention, and the second place, and maybe third place team earning a trip to the dance at well.  All teams are pretty strong, but not as strong as last year, but the parity remains; Sacramento with strong defense, Yorkshire with strong pitching and Sao Paulo with the offence.  Sadly, the only way that Nassau makes it to the final dance is an epic collapse by three teams, and that is likely not going to happen.

So —

My best to all teams and may the best GM win.