Kian Davies' 2018-19 Preseason Predictions
Congratulations to every prospect who got drafted, as well as the ones who are still waiting to be claimed! Many of us have already settled into our teams, and now it is time to prepare for the upcoming season! It will be a long 16 games full of excitement and disappointment, of wins and losses. Here, I will be predicting who will have one more than the other. This guarantees the ire of most of you-- don't worry, I predicted with 100% certainty that Garren Smudge would be a Yankee by now. This doesn't mean your season is over.
Let's hit it.
AL East
Toronto Blue Jays - 11-5
New York Yankees - 10-6
Tampa Bay Devil Rays - 9-7
Boston Red Sox - 6-10
In a tough AL East division, I think the Toronto Blue Jays still have the upper hand. New GM Joe McCarty has done well to deal with the team's holes going into the offseason. Most notable is the acquisition of Catfish O'Acid, who replaces Lane Drew at shortstop. O'Acid, who spent 2017-18 with the San Diego Padres, boasts similar stats to Drew with a .303/351/.455 slash line.
My second place prediction may surprise, but I truly believe the New York Yankees will be a playoff team out the gate. Out of the expansion teams, they've been a club that has pleasantly surprised me with their early clubhouse culture and media generation. The drafting of Artonis Jones really set them as a playoff team for me as well. Jones has a natural feel for fake baseball; though old-school, I think he will be a fantastic pitcher and strategist for the New York ballclub, and be the difference between a .500 season or something more.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays will likely have a similar season to last year. The loss of Willoughby Hoose and Einhorn dampens their chances at a playoff spot, and the performance of Dauod Mata in their place will truly show if this team is anything more than a .500 ballclub. The Devil Rays have been names in most free agent rumors, but have failed to sign anyone of note heading into Session 1. In my opinion, they didn't improve well enough to compete in this extremely challenging AL East.
The Boston Red Sox are another team that lost more than they gained, perhaps on a larger scale. They've had a difficult time attracting free agents to their clubhouse, and the departures of Chuck McCluster and Atlas Quin (formerly Hudson) are a huge blow to their expected win total. This is likely a .500 team at best, but I love Jordan Peppers and hope he can prove doubters wrong.
AL Central
Kansas City Royals - 12-4
Cleveland Indians - 9-7
Detroit Tigers - 8-8
Houston Astros - 7-9
The Kansas City Royals will be the next big team and the fear of the American League. I am very confident in this possibility. At the helm is Zack Andersen, the revered scout of the championship Phillies turned general manager. Many consider his draft one of, if not the best of the expansion teams. He has built a rather active, well-hitting core around free-agent signing and captain material Garren Smudge. They are holding really well in their preseason game against the defending champions, and under Andersen Hayden McCloud should be an ace.
There has been a lot of hype around the Cleveland Indians, mostly from Cleveland players. GM Ethan Franklin came out swinging with signings here and there, in an attempt to build something of a free agent super team. The only super name in the Indians' haul is Whitt Bass. Penny Lane is too unproven, while Daniel Collins rounds out the rotation and leaves a lot to be desired. G.H. Morello and Ross Fire proved to be decent signings, but I don't think anyone is drinking the Kool-Aid Cleveland has been shoving in the league's faces. This has the feel of a .500 team, and I believe they'll miss the playoffs by a hair once more.
It pains me to put the Detroit Tigers where they are on this table after predicting them to be Paper Cup winners in the upcoming season. After an underwhelming offseason I may have to rescind my prediction. The Tigers are a better team, there is no doubt about it, but I didn't expect their AL Central contemporaries to arm themselves so quickly. I feel like Detroit just got unlucky in the offseason lotteries, and they too will fall short of a playoff ticket.
The Houston Astros did well to acquire Willoughby Hoose, but I still don't see them threatening this division much. They had to completely revamp their lineup, but I don't think the team has much of an edge over their contemporaries. A rotation sidled with Jerome Garcia and recently-converted Derek Bongiovanni is, in my opinion, a step down from the days of Owen Uridge and Con Copper. I would love to see MVP Dakota Carolina Montana in the postseason, but I don't think it will happen with this ballclub. At least not this season.
AL West
Arizona Diamondbacks - 9-7
Oakland Athletics - 8-8
Los Angeles Angels - 6-10
Texas Rangers - 5-11
The high-powered offense of the Arizona Diamondbacks has stood seasonal transitioning before, and the hunger and expertise of GM Doc Jaam could prove a playoff ticket for this frustrated ballclub. Rub A. Chikin proved surprisingly effective after a late-season rebuilding effort saw him sent to Arizona, and Syd Kidd has the ability to stay consistent if he pitches like he has in his highs. The drafting of Reimer Gonzalez proved to be a great move by the Arizona front office, and the retention of Kid Notcher for what I assume will be a full season could do wonders for the Diamondbacks. This team won't blow anybody away, but it has the makings of a 1st place team in a rather sparse AL West.
Signing a lot of players doesn't translate to wins, and that may be the case for the Oakland Athletics. Signings like Dominus Nominus and Rich Poorman may help fill positions, but I don't see a playoff contender in this ballclub. Batters like Nominus and Xekutioner left 2017-18 with very poor statlines, and Max Wasson has shown himself susceptible to the slump early last season. The rotation could do well but could also do awfully-- there's no clear-cut ace on that staff. This is a better team than last year, albeit barely, but it probably will miss out on the AL West title. Who knows, however-- it is a weak division, so that may work in their favor.
The Los Angeles Angels will likely benefit well from getting far away from the AL East, but I still think they will end up under .500. Statistician Meerkat Timmons should be a great voice to lead the charge, but he was there last year when the Baltimore Orioles floundered to get much of anything. The difference between a disgraceful and mediocre season, however, is Discord presence. The Angels have acquired some Discord presence, so Timmons will be more likely to be heard by his players and more strategy should be made. This should translate to a few more wins, but I believe the Angels need to make a few more quality acquisitions to push themselves into contention for their division.
The Texas Rangers are coming off an underwhelming postseason appearance and didn't do much at all to that roster. They once again only have one pitcher, Pitcher of the Year winner Superbone Threefinger, who won mainly due to his longevity. He started tearing at the seams late in the season, however, and he could crack coming into 2018-19. This paired with a roster whose players are largely unresponsive (every single position player failed to fill out Meerkat's batter type form), and I think .500 is really a ceiling for the Rangers. GM Rabbi Chase really needs to inject some life into this ballclub, and fast.
NL East
Miami Marlins - 10-6
Philadelphia Phillies - 10-6
Montreal Expos - 7-9
New York Mets - 5-11
The Miami Marlins have come out of this offseason with a surprisingly fantastic rotation. Tara Dactyl and Valeria Lisova were both highly-touted pitching prospects, and Levi Pyram was the underappreciated third pitcher in the incredible Blue Jays rotation of 2017-18. The Marlins are going to surprise a lot of people-- their combination of activity and talent just breathes longevity, and it's hard not to give everything under a personality like GM Lane Drew. Giminy Schlimjim was a great depth signing, and Lane Drew is a great bat to have on standby. They need to stabilize that outfield, but I think many of the pieces are there to grab the NL East crown.
The Philadelphia Phillies are coming off their second championship in as many years. This is a fantastic achievement, and I see a strong 2018-19 from them. This, however, won't be the cakewalk they're hoping for. The loss of Zack Andersen is concerning, along with Henrik Omega. GM Jayson Burdwell shed a lot of strong bats, filling their spaces with a lot of new faces. Chuck McCluster should do well in Philadelphia, but it will be hard to fill Omega's shoes. Chuck Tingle was a surprisingly great signing, saved from the ruins of the Seattle Mariners, but overall I think the Phillies will battle for the NL East championship rather than coast to it. The Marlins could put up a great fight.
The Montreal Expos stumbled coming into the end of last season, leaving doubts for 2018-19. Tiberius Jr. didn't pitch nearly as well as he should have, and the Expos are suffering from a lot of the issues Texas is. Their roster is at risk of stagnation, though they could be saved by their new full-time GM Nate Lewis. If Coulson starts walking again and Cal Tiberius returns to half of what he was, this could be a great team, but there are too many what-ifs to put them any higher than .500 at the moment.
Now, I'm bound to get a lot of hate for underselling the New York Mets, but I don't see a lot here. Their rotation hinders on two former position players, and their veteran bats consist of a guy who left in Session 11 of last season and another guy who had 6 plate appearances. Yolanda Martinez is a novelty pick at best, and Dirk McGirdle has shown himself to be something of a heel in the fake baseball scene, which could be a clubhouse problem. I just find it hard to overlook the Mets faults, as much as I love their GM, and I think they are susceptible to a difficult season.
NL Central
Chicago Cubs - 11-5
Pittsburgh Pirates - 10-6
Milwaukee Brewers - 5-11
St. Louis Cardinals - 4-12
The NL Central should be highly competitive. I see the Chicago Cubs pulling it out because I love how they've built their team. First overall Daniel Dove is a fantastic addition and scout for the organization. Scottish Tweegy is a former All-Star who did great in 2017-18, and Atlas Quin was a crucial rock that the rotation needed. Combine this will a load of solid draft picks down the board and I love Chicago's chances. Like the Royals and possibly the Marlins, I see them taking their division in their first season.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will be reeling from their loss of Darth Vader, who won the Pitcher of the Year and third in MVP voting. I think, however, that Pittsburgh did well in keeping their roster competitive. They filled out their rotation behind rookie phenom Dylan Green, who could prove some stability if the position-players-turned-pitchers do not pan out. Smitty... W. proved to be a great free agent bat to liven the lineup, and they retained many of the players that helped them on their great 2017-18 run. I don't think they have enough to beat Chicago, but it should be a close race.
The Milwaukee Brewers fall among teams who didn't sign as many free agents as they were hoping for. I don't think they have a chance among the two top dogs in the NL Central. Icna Comit and Hans Ali give them active arms for the first time since Dan Gerzone, but I don't see them having incredible seasons with Milwaukee. The bats are pretty shallow overall, but perhaps they'll get lucky as the season progresses in future acquisitions. Hans Ali has shown some pitching prowess during flashes of last season, so maybe he'll prove me wrong. It's just a tough division.
The St. Louis Cardinals are in trouble. A lot of their late-season success could be attributed to fantastic pitching from Whitt Bass and Dan Gerzone, but both are no longer on this roster. They now only have one pitcher, a rookie they drafted late, and a list of hitters which is extremely shallow. I don't see much happening from St. Louis in its current state. I think they will fall off a cliff in 2018-19.
NL West
Colorado Rockies - 10-6
San Francisco Giants - 8-8
Los Angeles Dodgers - 6-10
San Diego Padres - 5-11
The Colorado Rockies did one of the best jobs filling their holes in the offseason. Henrik Omega and J.D. De Las Rosas were fantastic signings for the ballclub, and could mean a successful postseason push for Colorado. The Rockies came so close last year, and a full season of Jack Alpha could simply hand them the division alone, so it will be great to see what Colorado can do as 2018-19 begins.
The San Francisco Giants were graced with a GM who also is a fantastic pitcher, but overall the team did little besides re-signing Joe Machi. I don't think they will rope a postseason spot, to be honest. The Rockies are looking too good on paper and have come out as an active and threatening team in the main Discord. Hunter Tuzero and Kentho Birne should have a fantastic seasons and the Peters/Vader duo could be deadly, so perhaps I've got this totally wrong, but the Rockies have Hank Murphy and a deeper lineup than San Francisco. For real, though, who the fuck is Ty Johnson?
The Los Angeles Dodgers supplemented the loss of Atlas Quin with Ron Eagle and Federal Credit Union Boi, which is meager at best. I don't think the Dodgers will improve much this season. They have two former GMs pitching, two players who have never pitched a season of MLR fake baseball before, and I don't think this will fix their rotation problem from last year. Without Valentino Sanchez, this team is looking in dire straights.
And finally, what can be said about the San Diego Padres? Call me pessimistic, but I don't see much of an upgrade for the lost Caleb Athen and Donghuge Manchild. I think this team will struggle with scouting and strategic play, and I think it will hurt their record losing Athen for a full season. They're a huge question mark and could prove me entirely wrong, but I see nothing on this team that screams contention for the NL West title.