2017 Pre-Season Rankings – Frobel Division

Frobel Division

  1. Sacramento
  2. Sao Paulo
  3. Yorkshire
  4. Nassau

Sacramento Plaidsox (60.2 WAR) – Division Winner and possible League Championship Repeat

Last year, Sacramento were monsters, this year, they are monsters again, but not quite as big.  Owner Ryan Sambrook has been fairly silent this off season … and truthfully, why shouldn’t he be… there’s not a lot to improve on this team … but a move here and there could only help but improve the team.

Sambrook builds his team on defense and this year is no exception.  It will be interesting how much glove Sacramento wants, and will they continue to use Jose Altuve (7.5) at DH or go with aging defensive wizard, Ian Kinsler (2.4) at second.  The team features an All-Star in Mookie Betts (5.3) and a close one with Andrelton Simmons at SS (4.9).  Freddie Freeman (4.5) and Buster Posey (4.3) also remain top level threats in this line-up.

As for pitching, you have a to love a staff that ends with a 2.5 WAR in Kevin Gausman.  Last year Sacramento added Corey Kluber (7.3) and Justin Verlander (4.1) for the playoff push … thing is, nobody expected them to help with two or even three playoff pushes.  Youngster Aaron Nolan gets second chair on this staff with a 4.3 WAR.  Of course the pen features many of the same cast as yesteryear with Chapman, Allen and Betances.

Sao Paulo Tri-Color — 50.3 – Wild Card Contender

To be honest, I wasn’t sure how long Rae would be out.  When he gave up on Verlander and Kluber, I assumed wrongly that it was game over. Through some deft dealing, he has placed his name back in the playoff discussion as a Wildcard contender.

Offensively, the team features two All-Stars in Charlie Blackmon (6.5) and Zach Cozart (5.0).  JD Martinez (3.8) is one, if they keep him strictly DH’ing.  They are supported by several above average players in surprising Jonathan Schoop (4.1), Steven Souza Jr (3.7) and Carlos Santana (3.0), not to be confused with Erwin Santana.

Pitching wise, they are in great shape with Clayton Kershaw (4.6) and James Paxton (4.6) (finally coming around).  Lester (2.7) and Keuchel (2.5) also round out the rest of the rotation which is average if not less..  Look for Rae to not be done trading and add to the bullpen.  Kenley Jensen is the resident stud and will end up being one of the elite closers in the league.

Rae is very much a “what have you done for me lately” kind of guy, so don’t look for him to sit on rookies very long, but bring in players that will matter today, and not so much for tomorrow.

Yorkshire Moor-Hens — 37.1 — Non Contender.  Won’t finish last

Yorkshire looks to have a fairly quiet season.   Its not that the team is that bad, its just after Mike Trout 6.0), there really isn’t a lot of excitement on this team.  Gerritt Cole (3.1) is the resident stud of the staff, and no offense, that’s not very studly.  He seems to be more talk than action at this point in his career.   The rest of the rotation is well, blah — Lance McCullers (3) Tanner Roark (2.4), Alex Cobb (2.4) … let’s just say that when they let the kids in early to watch the teams warm up, the kids are at the visitor’s dug out.

As mentioned before, Trout is the main attraction of this team, the others, perhaps save for Manny “Let me Play Short” Machado (2.8).  The rest, pedestrian at best … Ender Inciarte (3), Khris Davis (2.3)… you get the picture.  There is some youth that Shawn Mosher is trying to incubate, so hopefully that will help them in the rebuild.

Here’s hoping that Yorkshire has some other professional team available to pick up the slack from the Mud Hens.

Nassau Sharks — 30.4 — Contender for the #1 Pick

Its finally happened, Bryn MacPhail has finally embraced a rebuild and a the Youth Movement, not build around Toronto Blue Jay Players.

Its taken MacPhail almost two decades of mediocre ball (there have been some competitive teams in the middle) — but nothing like the early days of BDB when the Knights, Sharks and whatever they were called were always in competition.

MacPhail has finally gone about collecting draft picks and youth to rise once again to the status of Jaggernaut.  Whether or not it happens, will depend on those picks.

Going into the season, there is not a lot of new talent on this team, but enough to bring the fans in.  Michael Conforto (4.4), Travis Shaw (3.4) and Jean Segura (2.9) are the main hitting stars and the rest will presumably be rookies.  There are some old guys sticking around such as Jonathan Lucroy, Mark Reynolds, Hunter Pence and Troy Tulowitski … hoping that one or two of them catch lightning in a bottle, but it won’t happen.

Pitching wise, the team does have Michel Fullmer (3.5) and … yeah that’s it.  Marco Estrada is a hold over, and the rest are youngsters like Archie Bradley, Blake Snell, Luke Weaver, are simply hoping to find their way.

The draft will be all about a youth movement, and MacPhail will have his fingers crossed as he hopes for a Vladimir Guererro Jr in his future. in his future.