Featuring the second and third best records in the entire world last season, the AL North promises to be as competitive as ever in season 5. After sending two teams to the playoffs last year (both losing to the eventual World Series Champion), the division will look to give the AL West a run for their money as the most competitive division in the league. The division has had excellent pitching as of late, with three of its teams ranked second, third, and fourth in the league in runs allowed (New Britain, Portland, and Detroit). If perennial doormat Minnesota is able to get decent performances from its young and inexperienced team, the AL North may well field four teams with records over .500.
1. New Britain Bees
Season 4's best pitching staff in the division propelled the Bees to their first division championship, with a solid divisional record of 20-10. Led by pitching ace Cecil Stern and his gaudy 1.06 WHIP, 3.14 ERA, New Britain finished with an overall record of 107-55. At $20 million a year, Stern will need to live up to his fearsome reputation if the franchise is to compete against its division rival and offensive juggernaut, the Portland Princes. The Bees will also be looking for a solid return from Douglas Handworth, a young pitcher with the skills of a savvy vet, currently sitting at third overall in career strikeouts. With an unreal 260 IP and 220 Ks last season, it is difficult to overstate how valuable Handworth could be to the Bees.
Though not stellar, the Bees offense was productive last season, to the tune of 990 runs. The offense was led by All-star 1B Teddy Reid, whose OBP of .443 and 38 HRs were enough to make up for a relatively weak infield. That infield has been bolstered this year by the addition of Carlos Carrasco(3B), added in a trade with Philadelphia. The Bees are still weak at 2B, however, where Tim Peters's $10 million .310 OBP may prove to be quite the albatross. New Britain was also active in the free agent market this offseason, signing veteran SP Vasco Bennett. Bennett is a 35 year-old starter with pinpoint control and an excellent repertoire of pitches. Although he is worryingly weak against right handers, his skills will likely place him as the Bees #3 starter this year. The Bees rotation will be guided by new catching acquisition Bruce Cepeda, who, although barely adequate with the bat, is known to be a defensive stalwart behind the plate. With Stern, Handworth, and Bennett in the Bees rotation this year, the Bees will be a force to be reckoned with. If Portland suffers any declines or injuries, the Bees will have an excellent chance of holding on to their divisional title.
2. Portland Princes
The Princes are an amazing franchise, loaded with talent and searching for a consistent owner. Winners of three divisional championships and barely missing last season with their 104 wins, the Princes are the favorites to regain the division title in season 5. The Princes feature the best offense in the division, raking a total of 1070 runs last year. Amazingly, Portland actually played under their expected win percentage of .684, scoring 80 more runs than New Britain and allowing only 18 more. A string of 1-run losses and lopsided wins means that the Princes already fantastic record may have even underestimated their dominance and ultimately cost them their fourth divisional title.
Portland is led by last year's MVP and this year torment of the American League, Pedro Silva.A terrifying slugging phenom from Texas, Silva posted Barry Bonds-esque numbers last year, including a jaw-dropping 70 HRs, 165 RBIs (!), and a 1.207 OPS. Having won his first MVP at only 25, Silva can expect many more seasons of hand wringing from his divisional rivals. Portland also features an excellent infield, with Gold Glove 3B Doug Buck tagging 44 HRs onto the pitchers of the AL last year. Much to the chagrin of division's GMs, Portland's returning firepower will also include slugging catcher Buddy Overbay (OPS over 1.000) and 2B Mel Wilkins (with his none too shabby .939 OPS).
Fortunately for their rivals, the Princes are not only one of the most powerful teams in the AL, but also one of the oldest, with an average age of 29.4 Although their aging pitching staff could eventually prove to be their Achilles heel, they have so far managed to avoid any precipitous declines.
The Princes were quiet in the offseason, with no significant free agent departures and no free agent signings. But with the talent they have, who wouldn't be content to watch the same team return for another season?
3. Detroit Stars
The second tier of the division is currently led by the Detroit Stars, a team that has historically hovered around .500, usually fielding decent teams but still struggling to capture their first division title. They finished season 4 with a good record of 87 wins, but in a division with two powerhouses, that was only good enough for third place. Detroit's excellent pitching staff is led by returning All-star Kurt O'Neill, who posted an incredible WHIP of 1.15 last season.
The Stars suffered a significant loss is the offseason when 2B Frank Cox entered free agency. With their already anemic offense (finishing 13th out of 16 in runs scored last year), the Stars will surely miss Cox's .297/.391 skills. Detroit must find a way to produce some runs this year if it hopes to compete for the title. After a quiet offseason, it appears that the Stars may be relying on in-house talent to find that spark.
4. Minnesota Goats
As the yearly whipping boys of the AL North, the Minnesota Goats have suffered through four consecutive losing seasons. After two years of rebuilding under new ownership, however, the Goats have high hopes for their incoming class of rookies and will look to at least improve their status within their difficult division. With big league experience at an average of only 3.3 years, the Goats are the most inexperienced team in the AL North. This inexperience clearly cost them last year, when their pitching staff gave up almost 1000 runs. The Goat's up and coming prospects have great upside, however, and may yet prove their mettle in the majors. The Goats will return last year's ROY and All-star CF Ivan Vaughn, as well as slugging vet Dennis Mori, the world's current all-time HR leader. Incoming rookies Trent "Sourpuss" Gragg and Hugh "the Pinhead" Edwards will hope will attempt to right the sinking ship that is generously called 'pitching' in Minnesota. In the offseason, the Goats have also added veteran pitchers Lawrence Lazzeri and Miguel Ortiz, along with C Lou Hall. Although he is approaching retirement, Hall may still be able to add some firepower to an already (somewhat) respectable lineup.
Having finished a vomit-inducing 5-25 in divisional play last year, the Goats will get an early look at their competition when they start the season with home sets against New Britain, Portland, and Detroit.
Predictions
- Portland Princes, 104 Wins.
- New Britain Bees, 100 Wins.
- Detroit Stars, 84 Wins.
- Minnesota Goats, 81 Wins.
No comments:
Post a Comment