February, 2020

2020 Season Preview

The defending-champion Salem Cowtippers have a...

Excuse me. I need a moment here.

Just one more minute.

Okay, let me start again.

The defending-champion Salem Cowtippers (man, I love the sound of that) have a steep hill to climb if they harbor any delusions of repeating that once-in-a-lifetime miracle in 2020. They return most of their 2019 championship team; however, the competition is fiercer than ever, with one team standing head and shoulders above the rest.

For the most part, not much seems to have changed since last year. The three OL division winners that I picked below are the same three that won their divisions last year. Out of the eight teams that I've picked to make it to the postseason, seven of them played last November. The same teams that I predict will be competitive this year are mostly the same teams that were competitive a year ago.

What's new? For starters, there is a new Superteam in town, and their name is the Chicago Black Sox. Chicago is simply loaded in 2020, and I don't see any way they don't lead the BDBL in wins this year. Southern Cal is close to Superteam status as well. The Eck League, as a whole, looks very tough this year.

In the OL, I see a very tight battle for the wildcard between Ravenswood and Bear Country. Darien, North Carolina, Allentown, and Joplin are all in rebuilding mode, leaving few teams remaining to compete. I am predicting a new OL champion, and one playoffs team that has not played in a BDBL postseason in a very long time.

Jump to:
McGowan | Benes | Griffin | Higuera | Wilkie | Hrbek

Salem Cowtippers

Owner: Mike Glander
2019 Record: 111-49 (1st place, BDBL champions)
Projected Rotation: Stephen Strasburg (.620), Max Scherzer (.637), Sonny Gray (.605), Jon Gray (.766), Anibal Sanchez (.709)
Bullpen: Taylor Rogers (.625), Trevor May (.587), Ryne Harper (.709), Jimmy Cordero (.615), Sam Dyson (.637), J.B. Wendelken (.543)
Projected Lineup: Trea Turner (SS, .850), Rafael Devers (3B, .916), Ramon Laureano (CF, .860), Nick Senzel/Shohei Ohtani (RF, .898/.868), Christian Walker (1B, .825), Jose Ramirez (2B, .806), Andrew Benintendi (LF, .774), Tom Murphy/Alex Avila (C, 1.103/.795)

Strengths: This is the best starting rotation in the BDBL, without question. Strasburg, Scherzer, and Sonny Gray are all legitimate aces that would be the #1 starter for most teams in the league. Jon Gray's numbers will play up in Sam Adams Stadium, as they always do, and Sanchez is an asset as a #5 starter.

Devers is a legitimate MVP candidate in the middle of the lineup. He is surrounded by several quality hitters with 800+ OPS's. That lineup is equally strong against lefties and righties, with no real glaring hole.

Weaknesses: The bullpen is solid, but not great, and certainly not the asset that it was for Salem in 2019. There is no legitimate closer in this bullpen, and no pitcher with lights-out splits against either lefties or righties, which Salem had in spades last season. Making matters worse for the pitching staff is this team's weak defense. Benintendi and Laureano were both rated Vg for range in 2019, but inexplicably dropped to Fr this year. Senzel is also rated Fr, giving Salem a below-average starting outfield, defensively. Worst of all, Salem will be starting two players out of position against right-handers: Shohei Ohtani (rated Pr/300 at the pitching position, which is stupid) in right field, and Jose Ramirez (Av at 3B) at second base. I estimate that this will cost the team around 75 runs, or nearly eight wins. Needless to say, this is an area the team needs to address.

Another area of possible weakness is this team's lack of power. In this era where the home run reigns supreme, Salem ranks near the bottom of the BDBL in team home runs. Devers (32) is the only batter in the lineup with 30-plus homers. Walker (29), Laureano (24), and Ramirez (23) are the only ones with 20-plus. Contrast that with the Undertakers, who have four batters with 30-plus home runs and three others with 20-plus.

Outlook: In this era of baseball history where "openers" and "bullpenning" are all the rage, it almost seems old-fashioned to see a team build around its starting rotation. It took the Cowtippers eleven years to win back the McGowan Division. They should easily make it back-to-back this year. If the 2019 postseason proved anything, it's that a lot has to go right in order to win a BDBL championship. It may be another twenty years before Salem wins another trophy, but at least we should have another one-in-eight shot in November.

Prediction: 1st place. The Washington Nationals won a championship in 2019 in large part because of their pitching staff, which included Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer, and Anibal Sanchez. Given the dominance of the Eck League, it would take another 2019-sized miracle for Salem to win that trophy again this year. Now that the monkey is finally off my back, maybe I can just sit back and enjoy the playoffs this year for what it is. Or, maybe not.

Joplin Miners

Owners: Jim Doyle
2019 Record: 95-65 (2nd place, OL wildcard winner)
Projected Rotation: Chris Sale (.695), Tom Milone (.765), Danny Duffy (.760), Gio Gonzalez (.709), Sean Newcomb (.692), Tanner Roark (.806)
Bullpen: John Brebbia (.626), Jesse Chavez (.787), Bryan Shaw (.798), Richard Rodriguez (.751)
Projected Lineup: Carlos Santana (1B, .911), David Peralta (LF, .804), Mookie Betts (CF, .915), Charlie Blackmon (RF, .940), Sean Rodriguez (2B, .723), Chad Pinder (SS, .706), Erik Gonzalez/Logan Forsythe (3B, .735/.732), Martin Maldonado (C, .671)

Strengths: One year ago, Jim Doyle placed all his eggs in one basket. He paid $16 million for one player and got a Cy Young winner from that investment. Unfortunately for Miners fans, Chris Sale suffered through an injury-riddled 2019 MLB season, and will be limited to just 162 innings this season. Equally unfortunate is the fact that he wasn't nearly as dominant (3.31 CERA, .666/.701 splits) in his limited time as he was the prior season. He's still an asset, but no longer a threat to win yet another BDBL award.

Betts (.839/.945 splits), Blackmon (.940/.940), and Santana (.979/.879) give Joplin three batters with a .900+ overall OPS. Blackmon won an OL MVP award for Joplin in 2018 despite the fact that he went from MLB's best ballpark for hitters to baseball's worst hitter's park in Joplin. His 2018 performance remains one of the most inexplicable overachievements in league history. He has now returned to Joplin after a year in Chicago. The question is: will history repeat itself?

Weaknesses: Last year, Doyle had several gaping holes on his roster that he desperately needed to fill. He went into the auction with no catcher, no shortstop, and only two quality starting pitchers. Instead of filling all of those holes, he filled one of them by spending nearly all of his money on one player: Sale. He then plugged the others by wading through the septic tank of the $100,000 rounds of the draft. That strategy resulted in a 95-win season and an OL wildcard.

Hey, if it worked, why not do it again? This winter, Doyle had no choice but to wade through those $100K rounds, as the Miners had only $5.5 million to spend on 19 open roster spots. As a result, the catching position wasn't filled until the 26th round of the draft. The team's first eligible third baseman was drafted in Round 29. And the starting rotation wasn't filled until Round 34. This team now heads into the 2020 season with a catcher sporting a .671 OPS, a third base platoon of Erik Gonzalez and Logan Forsythe, and a starting pitcher with a 6.36 CERA.

Outlook: Doyle decided way back in November to throw in the towel and rebuild in 2020. He traded away Charlie Morton and Freddie Freeman, and took on the $10.5 million contract of Blackmon. The Miners have a whopping $44 million (or nearly 70-percent of the team's total payroll) allocated to just four players. The good news is that three of those players, and $28 million in salary, come off the books at the end of this season. With Mike Trout and Garrett Cole hitting free agency next winter, it's a safe bet to assume Doyle will place all his eggs in one basket yet again.

Prediction: 2nd place. Despite taking the year off to rebuild, the Miners remain the second-best team in the division thanks to the rebuilding efforts in North Carolina and Darien.

North Carolina Iron Spider Pigs

Owner: Ian Hartner
2019 Record: 65-95 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Jack Flaherty (.591), Jeff Samardzija (.692), Zach Plesac (.744), Merrill Kelly (.761), Yusei Kikuchi (.888)
Bullpen: Zack Britton (.545), Mark Melancon (.678), Rowan Wick (.528), Luis Cessa (.751), Francisco Liriano (.710)
Projected Lineup: Ian Happ/David Bote (2B, .770/.820), Matt Chapman (3B, .848), Joey Votto (1B, .768), Adam Jones (RF, .728), Michael Brosseau/Dexter Fowler (LF, .829/.775), Manny Pina/Buster Posey (C, .965/.737), Adam Haseley (CF, .720), Freddie Galvis (SS, .734)

Strengths: Franchise player Chapman owns that all-too-rare combination: Ex glove in the field and elite bat in the lineup. Iron Spider Pigs fans will enjoy his company for the next seven years. Likewise, they will enjoy the company of Flaherty, who was also made a franchise player through the 2026 season this winter. Flaherty will likely earn a few Cy Young votes at the end of this season, although I wouldn't expect him to rack up many wins. Britton is a legit closer. If things don't pan out for North Carolina this year, he could become tasty trade bait.

Weaknesses: Chapman's supporting cast in the lineup isn't very supportive at all. Three years ago, having Buster Posey and Joey Votto in the same lineup would have been a tremendous asset. In 2020, they're liabilities. Posey inexplicably lost the ability to hit lefties (.575 OPS), which makes him a platoon player with Manny Pina (.965 vs. LH.) Votto (.656) also can't hit southpaws, which means he also needs a platoon partner.

On the pitching side, once you get past the ace, Flaherty, it gets downright frightening -- and not in a good way. Samardzija (3.14 CERA, .755/.627 splits) isn't bad. Plesac (3.82, .685/.788) is okay, but limited to 127 innings. Then the rotation falls off a cliff into the abyss.

Outlook: We are now entering Year Two of the Hartner Era in North Carolina. This once-proud franchise owned the BDBL back in the day, winning four* of the league's first five championships. Then came the McGowan Era, which produced two division winners and a wildcard winner in Ed's nine seasons in the BDBL. His all-too-brief time in our league, and our lives, culminated with two seasons of 96 and 97 losses. Since then, this franchise has lost more than 90 games in six out of the past seven seasons.

Ian took three Type H risks in last year's auction. Unfortunately, all three (Votto, Posey, and Nathan Eovaldi) crashed and burned in spectacular fashion. That put this 2020 team in a bad position, with $18 million in mostly useless salary. He wisely avoided falling into that same trap this winter. Instead, he placed small bids on dozens of players, and walked away with only two winning bids on the final day of the auction, totaling just $3 million. Flaherty and Chapman form a nice foundation for a franchise, but Ian needs to spend the next year stockpiling as much young talent as he can get his hands on.

Prediction: 3rd place. ISP fans desperately need someone to take a big leap forward this MLB season. Maybe it will be A.J. Puk. Or Zach Plesac. Or Kyle Lewis. This team needs reinforcements, pronto. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of trade bait here, so those reinforcements will have to come through the dumpster pile of free agency. Not an easy task, and yet Jeff Paulson managed to secure three of the top players on his team through free agency last year, with the 24th draft pick! It can be done, folks.

Darien Blue Wave

Owner: Lee Scholtz
2019 Record: 47-113 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: JA Happ (.785), Rick Porcello (.809), Spencer Turnbull (.763), Adrian Houser (.710), Drew Pomeranz (.804)
Bullpen: Emilio Pagan (.590), Colin Poche (.650), Sergio Romo (.649), Ty Buttrey (.690), Andrew Miller (.739), Ranger Suarez (.739)
Projected Lineup: Daniel Murphy/Michael Chavis (2B, .881/.774), Matt Olson (1B, .767/.956), Yordan Alvarez (LF, 1.067), Miguel Sano (3B, 1.007/.889), Eddie Rosario (RF, .800), Kurt Suzuki (C, .809), Starlin Castro/Kevin Newman (SS, .881/.824), A.J. Pollock (CF, .795)

Strengths: The Blue Wave scored the fewest runs in the BDBL last season, but that won't happen again. In fact, I could easily see this team scoring 200 runs above the 585 they scored a year ago. There isn't a soft spot in this lineup. I couldn't even find room for Hanser Alberto and his .948 OPS against lefties. Of course, the centerpiece of this offense (and franchise) is Salem's gift that will keep giving for the next decade: Yordan F'ing Alvarez. He went from being a fringe top-50 prospect to a perennial MVP candidate overnight. Basically, he followed the Aaron Judge career path.

Weaknesses: I began this section last year by noting: "Wow, is this pitching staff bad." A year later, little has changed. JA Happ (4.57 CERA, .652/.830 splits) is no one's idea of an ace, and yet there he is atop the Darien rotation. It only gets worse from there. Only two teams allowed more runs than Darien last season. I would be shocked if more than two teams allow more runs than Darien this season.

Outlook: Rome wasn't built in a day. The Darien franchise will need more than a year or two to be rebuilt into a contender. This franchise has not finished above .500 since 2013. They have lost over 100 games a whopping seven times in the past ten years. There are, however, reasons for optimism, starting with Alvarez. He gives this franchise a true superstar building block, which is something they haven't had since Lance Berkman, who was this franchise's first-ever farm player.

The rebuilt Darien farm system should rank near the top of the league when February's Farm Report is published. Maybe one or two of Lee Scholtz's reclamation projects (Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances, Maikel Franco, Rick Porcello) pays dividends with a comeback year in 2020. If not, the team has plenty of trade bait to deal this summer. They also have very little salary tied up long-term, and will no longer be saddled with a league-maximum penalty next winter. You can almost see the light at the end of this tunnel.

Prediction: 4th place. Maybe third. Hell, now that we got rid of penalties and bonuses for wins, it hardly matters anymore. Say, why did we do that, again?

Akron R�che

Owner: D.J. Shepard
2019 Record: 101-59 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: Mike Clevinger (.602), Marcus Stroman (.697), Brandon Woodruff (.650), Jose Quintana (.763), Robbie Ray (.766), Pablo Lopez (.756)
Bullpen: Josh Hader (.591), Will Smith (.618), Trevor Gott (.597), Tyler Clippard (.608), Adam Morgan (.621), Austin Voth (.677), Jordan Yamamoto (.647), Luke Weaver (.645)
Projected Lineup: Austin Nola/Keston Hiura (2B, .894/1.021), Austin Riley/Josh Bell (1B, .984/1.002), Ronald Acuna (RF, .883), David Dahl/Starling Marte (LF, .900/.868), Anthony Santander/Jesse Winker (CF, .810/.887), Chris Taylor (3B, .794), Roberto Perez (C, .774), Dansby Swanson (SS, .748)

Strengths: The Akron roster often looks like overkill. This year is no exception. Dahl (.900/.866 splits) and Marte (.773/.868) are full-time starters on any other team. Here, they will need to form a platoon just to get some playing time. Bell (.761/1.002) should also be a full-time player, but I had to platoon him with Riley (.984/.676), just to get him into the lineup somehow. Oscar Mercado (.775/.753, with Vg range at all three outfield positions) would start for most teams, but is a bench player with Akron. I could have really used Nola myself, and targeted Donovan Solano (.843/.783) in the draft as well, but D.J. needed both players for...well, I have no idea.

The same gross excess appears in the pitching staff as well. All eight of the relievers listed above deserve an active roster spot. Does a team really need eight relievers? Maybe if we adopt the much-discussed 26-man roster proposal. For now, if Akron carries all eight, plus four starters, it means at least one of those hitters listed above will be relegated to the reserve roster. I suppose that keeping good players off of your competition's roster is a valid strategy.

Weaknesses: Clevinger (2.41 CERA, .647/.551 splits) and Woodruff (3.13, .763/.551) are arguably Akron's best starting pitchers, but they are limited to just 138 and 133 innings, respectively. I guess that's not a problem when you have seven closers. The only other weakness I see on Akron's roster is that their 36th-best player is merely league-average.

Outlook: I was in my twenties when this league began. I will be 65 years old and (hopefully) retired by the time Acuna's current contract ends. As long as he is on the Akron roster, the Ryche will have at least one devastating weapon at their disposal. D.J. ran away with the division title last year in his first year back in the Ozzie League. I don't see how this team doesn't repeat as division winners in 2020. With all of these offensive weapons, and this closer-heavy pitching staff, I could see Akron advancing a lot further in the postseason than they did a year ago. In fact, it would not surprise me to see the Ryche as Ozzie League champions.

Prediction: 1st place, and, what the hell, Ozzie League champions. Beating the Undertakers in the OLCS may be termed an "upset", but really, those two teams are equally-matched. That makes it a coin flip. D.J. has never appeared in a BDBL World Series. I say his time has come.

Ravenswood Infidels

Owner: Brian Potrafka
2019 Record: 84-76 (2nd place, second wildcard)
Projected Rotation: Walker Buehler (.636), Chris Paddack (.635), James Paxton (.732), Eduardo Rodriguez (.714), Ross Stripling (.699)
Bullpen: Liam Hendricks (.564), Noe Ramirez (.698), Nick Goody (.690), Javy Guerra (.724)
Projected Lineup: Kolten Wong (2B, .784), Adam Eaton (RF, .792), Marcus Semien (SS, .892), J.T. Realmuto (C, .820), Todd Frazier/Ji-Man Choi (1B, .913/.869), Kyle Seager/Brock Holt (3B, .945/.832), Tyler Austin/Garrett Cooper (LF, .813/.849), Lorenzo Cain/Jake Cave (CF, .747/.787)

Strengths: The Infidels have their franchise pitcher with Buehler (2.66 CERA, .616/.657 splits), who should get some consideration for the OL Cy Young award at the end of the season. Paddack (2.62, .666/.603) gives this team two studs at the top of the rotation. Paxton (3.90, .670/.752) and Rodriguez (4.03, .783/.696) are very solid pitchers for the back of the rotation.

The lineup is rock-solid, with several very strong platoon combinations and no real weaknesses. There are no weaknesses defensively, either. Wong and Cain both have Ex range, and there are only a handful of players with below-average range, depending on the platoon configurations.

Weaknesses: Hendricks (1.86 CERA, .704/.424 splits) is the de facto closer, but he suffers from some ugly and easily-exploited splits. Beyond Hendricks, there really isn't much to the Ravenswood bullpen. Stripling (90+ IP, 3.22, .707/.690) would be a much-needed asset in the bullpen, but given the lack of innings in the rotation, he may be needed more as a starter.

Outlook: Realmuto and Semien are both approaching free agency this winter, so it's now or never for Ravenswood. They have the offense and the starting rotation to keep pace with Akron in this division. The bullpen can be fortified easily enough through trade. If Ravenswood can keep Akron at arm's length for the first half of the season, it can be anyone's game down the stretch. They only need a few breaks to go their way.

Prediction: 2nd place. I can see the battle for the OL wildcard boiling down to a fight between Ravenswood and Bear Country. If so, that battle won't likely be decided until the very end of the season. As we all know, once a team reaches the Tournament of Randomness, anything can happen. Buehler can match up with any ace from any team, and his Vg durability rating suggests that he can pitch three times in a seven-game series. That would give Ravenswood a fighting chance no matter who their opponent will be. They merely need to get there first.

Las Vegas Flamingos

Owner: John Bochicchio
2019 Record: 70-90 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Jake Odorizzi (.671), Joey Lucchesi (.702), Chris Bassitt (.698), Wade Miley (.726), Chase Anderson (.763)
Bullpen: Kenley Jansen (.653), Luis Perdomo (.675), Marcus Walden (.642), Justin Wilson (.670), Hunter Wood (.721), Dylan Floro (.685), Andrew Chafin (.691)
Projected Lineup: Francisco Lindor (SS, .854), Trey Mancini (RF, .899), Pete Alonso (1B, .941), Andrew McCutchen/Jackie Bradley (CF, .840/.787), Yan Gomes/Brian McCann (C, .878/.769), Kike Hernandez/Jason Kipnis (2B, .758/.756), Leury Garcia/Jose Osuna (3B, .761/.849)

Strengths: Enrique Hernandez. The man is CLUTCH. No one -- and I mean no one -- can deny that. Simply having him in the clubhouse adds at least a dozen wins. Which is the only possible explanation why JB paid top dollar to ensure that this man is part of the Flamingos roster in 2020. Either that, or JB just hates me.

Aside from Kike, the Flamingos add a key rookie to the lineup this year, who can now pair with Lindor to give this franchise two impact bats in the middle of the lineup through the 2023 season. Alonso (with matching .941/.941 splits) and Lindor (.775/.893) are a force to be reckoned with.

Weaknesses: Vegas' pitching staff and lineup are neither good nor bad. Odorizzi, despite being paid like an ace, fits better in the middle of a rotation than at the front. Jansen is notoriously shaky in the closer role. The lineup, aside from Alonso and Lindor, is fairly pedestrian. If you rank every team in the BDBL by MLB OPS (as of this writing), the Flamingos rank #21 out of 24 teams. Granted, it's a poor measurement because of playing time and other factors, but it's still a fairly telling stat.

Outlook: Next year, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the last time the Flamingos won 90 games in a season. The only other franchise that has gone so long without a 90-win season is the Myrtle Beach Hitmen, whose fans suffered through twenty years of Jim Doyle. In fact, that franchise has NEVER won 90 games in a season. This is not good company.

Each year, it seems as though I write the same thing about Johnny Bo's strategy. Instead of filling his roster with players who have immediate trade value or high future upside, he fills his roster with warm bodies capable of getting through one more season. At the end of the year, those roster-fillers are released (if possible) and replaced with more warm bodies. Lather, rinse, repeat.

This winter has been no different. The team got rid of Derek Dietrich, Adam Eaton, Todd Frazier, Curtis Granderson, Mark Reynolds, Francisco Liriano, Mike Minor, Ivan Nova, and Dan Straily (all aging vets between the ages of 29-35) and replaced them with Jackie Bradley, Brandon Dixon, Leury Garcia, Yan Gomes, Kike Hernandez, Jason Kipnis, Max Stassi, Kenley Jansen, Wade Miley, Jake Odorizzi, and Justin Wilson (all aging vets between the ages of 28-33.) This is not a winning strategy.

Prediction: 3rd place, with around 70 wins, just like last year. Yawn.

South Loop Furies

Owner: Bart Chinn
2019 Record: 66-94 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Zach Davies (.729), Matt Boyd (.766), Steven Matz (.777), Daniel Norris (.797), Andrew Heaney (.772)
Bullpen: Will Harris (.540), Tyler Duffey (.595), Austin Brice (.676), Buck Farmer (.743), Amir Garrett (.695), Evan Marshall (.669), Ryne Stanek (.688)
Projected Lineup: Jorge Polanco (SS, .841), Josh Donaldson (3B, .900), Anthony Rizzo (1B, .924), Nick Castellanos (LF, .863), Bryan Reynolds (RF, .880), Matt Joyce/Aaron Hicks (LF, .858/.769), James McCann (C, .789), Miguel Rojas (2B, .710)

Strengths: The top half of this lineup is very strong, with five legitimate all-star-caliber hitters. Castellanos (1.138 OPS) murders left-handers. Polanco (.891), Rizzo (.962), Reynolds (.931), and Donaldson (.917) crush righties. Harris is a legitimate closer who will either save a lot of games for the Furies in 2020 or become Grade A trade bait.

Weaknesses: This is the type of pitching staff you build when you're just trying to gather enough usage to get through a season. Chinn paid $6.5 million for Boyd (4.18 CERA, .711/.779 splits), who becomes the team's ace by default, although he fits better in the middle of a rotation. It would be surprising if the Furies allowed fewer than the 890 runs they allowed a year ago.

Outlook: It's difficult to believe, but we are now entering Year Five of the Chinn Era in South Loop. Bart inherited a last-place team back in 2016 and managed to turn it into a division winner in only two years. The team slid back down to last place a year ago. Now, the second rebuilding phase begins.

On the plus side, this team will dump a ton of salary after this season. Rizzo, Castellanos, Hicks, McCann, Rojas, Mike Zunino, and Andrew Heaney will all be free agents next winter. That's a total of $30 million in salary. Add to that the $2.7 million this franchise paid in penalties this winter being erased thanks to the abolishment of bonuses and penalties tied to wins and losses. This presents a golden opportunity for any rebuilding team -- especially with a rich and deep free agent class expected, and especially with the trade bait this team has on hand.

Prediction: 4th place. Again. But, with hope for the future.

Los Altos Undertakers

Owner: Jeff Paulson
2019 Record: 112-48 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: Gerrit Cole (.579), Sandy Alcantara (.719), Caleb Smith (.755), David Price (.755), Aaron Sanchez (.828)
Bullpen: Seth Lugo (.562), Tyler Webb (.593), Ken Giles (.574), Yimi Garcia (.671), Josh James (.704), Reyes Moronta (.612), Jose Urquidy (.678)
Projected Lineup: Fernando Tatis/Corey Seager (SS, 1.268/.876), Mitch Garver (C, .995), Nolan Arenado (3B, .962), Hunter Pence (LF, .910), Danny Santana/Dan Vogelbach (1B, .856/.844), Bo Bichette/Derek Dietrich (2B, 1.079/.829), Kevin Kiermaier/Joc Pederson (CF, .784/.920), Shin-Soo Choo (RF, .826)

Strengths: Cole (212+ IP, 2.02 CERA, .587/.571 splits) is the odds-on favorite to win the OL Cy Young award this year. He is backed, as always, by a very strong bullpen filled with closers galore. The Los Altos lineup is overflowing with so much talent, I had a hard time filling out that lineup card. Do we really sit Fernando Tatis, Jr. and his .891 OPS against righties? If not, then it means sitting Seager and his .876 OPS. Against lefties, Nick Ahmed's Vg glove and .934 OPS takes a back seat to Tatis and his -- get this -- 1.268 OPS.

The Kansas Law Dogs own the BDBL record for team home runs, with 364. That record (set in the Steroids Era, in a ballpark modeled after Coors Field) will likely never be broken. The 2020 Undertakers, however, could come close. Los Altos has one player (Arenado) with over 40 homers in MLB '19, three with 30-plus, three more with 20-plus, and three with 19 homers each. Whatever you do, DO NOT start a lefty against Los Altos this season. This team has five -- FIVE! -- players (Arenado, Bichette, Garver, Pence, and Tatis) with an OPS over 1.000 against left-handers.

Weaknesses: I am surprised to find that Choo (.679 OPS vs. LH) has no platoon partner in right field. Garver is limited to only 394 PA's, but his backup (someone named Jacob Stallings) has an OPS of .963 against lefties. This team's most expensive player, Matt Carpenter, is relegated to a bench role thanks to his .680/.737 splits.

The most glaring weakness is a starting rotation that looks awful beyond its ace. But, of course, I said the exact same thing about this team last year, and they won 112 games, anyway. I guess starting pitching is overrated!

Outlook: Another year, another division title for Los Altos. Probably, more than likely, it will be another 100-win season as well. It's getting boring at this point, like watching the Patriots, pre-2019. Is there any end in sight to this dynasty? On the plus side, the Arenado Era in Los Altos is finally coming to an end. He will be a free agent at the end of this season. More importantly, so will Garret Cole.

On the negative side, the Tatis/Bichette Era has just begun. Los Altos now owns three of the top young shortstops in baseball. One of them, Seager, is already franchised. What to do with the others? I suppose it's a "problem" that any of us would like to have.

Arenado's bat will be easy to replace, given the presence of Tatis and Bichette. It's possible that one (or both) will move to third base in MLB at some point in the near future. If not, they can be played out of position or traded for a legitimate third baseman. Replacing Cole's arm will be much more difficult (and expensive) to replace. As I said, however, it doesn't seem as though this team needs starting pitching in order to win.

Prediction: 1st place. Again. Yawn. Nearly half of all twenty BDBL championship trophies have been won by Jeff and Tom, and they now share the same division. I feel sorry for Matt and Scot. Los Altos could very well find themselves in the BDBL World Series for a sixth time this November. Should they win that one, it would put Jeff into a tie with Tom for the most BDBL championships ever won.

Bear Country Jamboree

Owner: Matt Clemm
2019 Record: 72-88 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Luis Castillo (.633), Hyun-Jin Ryu (.622), John Means (.702), Ryan Yarbrough (.650), Frankie Montas (.646)
Bullpen: Aroldis Chapman (.537), Tony Gonsolin (.580), Stefan Crichton (.578), Mike Morin (.672), Casey Sadler (.664)
Projected Lineup: Jeff McNeil (2B, .916), J.D. Davis (3B, .895), Paul Goldschmidt (1B, .821), J.D. Martinez (RF, .939), Wilson Ramos (C, .768), Adam Engel/Harold Ramirez (CF, .841/.753), Austin Slater/Justin Upton (LF, .838/.804), Orlando Arcia/Luis Rengifo (SS, .684/.723)

Strengths: As many of you know, I don't really follow baseball. Because of that, when I look at this roster, I feel like I just woke up after a decade-long coma. Like, since when did J.D. Davis become a thing? And I thought the whole Jeff McNeil thing was cute when it first happened, but is that now a permanent thing as well? And did John Means really become that good overnight?

The Bear Country lineup is stacked -- especially against left-handers. In addition to Martinez (1.381 OPS vs. LH!), Ramos (.946), Davis (.913), and Goldschmidt (.961), the Jamboree have FOUR bench players with a .900+ OPS against southpaws. The starting rotation is also stacked, with two legitimate aces backed by very solid mid-rotation arms. Chapman and Gonsolin are a suffocating left/right combo in the bullpen.

Weaknesses: The lineup only has one glaring weakness at the shortstop position, although Ryan Goins (1.128 OPS) has 32 weirdly amazing at-bats against lefties that can be used. (And, again, I know I've been in a coma, but since when can Ryan Goins hit ANYONE?) Defensively, the only real weakness is Martinez, who owns Pr range in both left and right field, with an error rating double the league average at both positions.

Outlook: Conventional wisdom says you can't buy your way into the postseason, and yet here we are. Matt Clemm had an outstanding auction. He walked away with an ace (Ryu), a mid-lineup impact bat (Martinez), a star-caliber first baseman (Goldschmidt), a rock-solid catcher (Ramos), and a closer (Chapman) -- all for the low, low, price of just $35 million.

The Jamboree won 90 or more games for three years in a row from 2016-2018, and yet all they had to show for it was one year in which they tied for the wildcard and lost a one-game playoff to the Flagstaff Outlaws. Bear Country hasn't appeared in the BDBL postseason since 2003. There are now four players in the BDBL who were born since the Jamboree last played November baseball. The time has come for Bear Country fans' long suffering to come to an end.

Prediction: 2nd place, and the OL wildcard. In a normal world where starting pitching matters and the Baseball Gods don't shower Jeff Paulson with their godly love at every possible moment, the Jamboree would be the division winners for only the second time in history. But we all know how this game is played by now. Jeff will win 100+ games despite having only one decent starting pitcher, and the other teams in this division will have to settle for second-best. As the song goes, that's just the way it is; some things will never change.

Kansas City Boulevards

Owner: Scot Zook
2019 Record: 65-95 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Aaron Nola (.708), Jordan Lyles (.767), Dakota Hudson (.742), Mike Leake (.823), Griffin Canning (.739)
Bullpen: Alex Colome (.617), Junior Guerra (.639), Wander Suero (.666), Michael Feliz (.720), Tim Hill (.636), Scott Barlow (.735)
Projected Lineup: Mark Canha (CF, .913), Hunter Dozier (RF, .870), Evan Longoria (3B, .762), C.J. Cron/Eric Thames (1B, 1.020/.877), Brian Goodwin (LF, .796), Pedro Severino/Jonathan Lucroy (C, .812/.684), Jose Peraza/Jonathan Villar (SS, .744/.819), Dee Gordon/Cesar Hernandez (2B, .735/.780)

Strengths: This lineup isn't great, but it's solid. There aren't any real weak spots to be exploited. Expensive free agent acquisition Canha (.801/.966 splits) can play all three outfield positions as well as first base. I couldn't find a spot for Edwin Encarnacion (.969/.842), who is rated Pr at only first base. Aristedes Aquino (.905/.887 splits in only 225 PA's) is another one who deserves some playing time.

Weaknesses: Nola (202+ IP, 3.79 CERA, .728/.693 splits) is the ace of the staff and a designated franchise player, but he did not have a stellar 2019 MLB season. He is backed in the rotation by four place-fillers. Leake (197, 4.83, .847/.793), in fact, is the ultimate place-filler. If you look in the BDBL dictionary under "place-filler", there is a photo of John Lackey. Right next to that is a photo of Leake. Likewise, the lineup is filled with aging placeholders in desperate need of a youth injection.

Outlook: 2019 was a difficult year for Boulevards fans. One year after watching their team reach the playoffs, they were forced to endure a miserable 95-loss season that included the trade of their franchise player, Christian Yelich. Unfortunately for those fans, there is no Yelich on the 2020 roster. The team's best hitter, Canha, is 31 years old and coming off his first full, above-average, season. He is guaranteed to be paid $7 million in 2021 and $8 million in 2022. Longoria and Thames are free agents at the end of the year. The farm seems devoid of anyone who will come close to Yelich's production.

Should the Boulevards find themselves in a position to throw in the towel once again in 2020, they won't have a Yelich to deal this year. In fact, they won't have much at all to offer in trade. In other words, it could be another long year for Boulevards fans.

Prediction: 3rd place. That's pretty much all I have to say about that.

Allentown Ridgebacks

Owner: Tom DiStefano
2019 Record: 73-87 (2nd place)
Projected Rotation: Joe Musgrove (.738), Yonny Chirinos (.683), Trevor Richards (.749), Kevin Gausman (.792)
Bullpen: Ryan Pressly (.543), Aaron Civale (.638), Shane Greene (.598), Alec Mills (.718)
Projected Lineup: Myles Straw/Adam Frazier (2B, .782/.781), Mike Yastrzemski (LF, .852), George Springer (CF, .974), Aaron Judge (RF, .921), Wilmer Flores/Kevin Cron (1B, .982/.823), Josh Phegley (C, .693), Greg Garcia (3B, .718), Andrelton Simmons/J.P. Crawford (SS, .832/.789)

Strengths: Springer and Judge have been teammates since 2016, and will be teammates through the 2023 season. When former franchise player Paul Goldschmidt was coldly and unceremoniously handed his walking papers by this team's ruthless new owner, Springer and Judge remained as the Faces of the Franchise. As long as those two are in the lineup, this team has a fighting chance to win some games.

If this team can get to the sixth inning, or so, with a lead, the bullpen is capable of holding that lead. Pressly (.316/.719 splits) is absolutely dominant against left-handers. Greene (.762/.483) dominates righties. A capable manager could maximize their usage this season. It remains to be seen whether or not an MP is capable of using them as well.

Weaknesses: The starting rotation is an afterthought -- to the point where there aren't enough innings to get through this season. Eventually, this team will be forced to scrape the bottom of the free agent barrel to fill those innings. Either that, or a trade, which seems unlikely. Regardless, this team has no true "ace" by any stretch of the imagination. Their best starting pitcher, Chirinos, is limited to 146 innings.

Offensively, this lineup is fairly weak once you get past Judge and Springer. Little Yaz (411 PA's, .943/.826 splits) was a nice pickup, but is somewhat limited in usage, and is highly likely to become trade bait.

Outlook: At this time last year, if you had told me that Greg Newgard would resign from the BDBL before the end of the season, I would have called you a no-good, filthy, rotten, liar. If you had then told me that Tom DiStefano, of all people, would take over Greg's franchise, I would have laughed at you until you cried. Life is strange. It took three attempts to hand over this franchise to a new owner, but eventually, we got a good one. Our five-time BDBL champion has returned. How soon will he begin wreaking havoc, dominating this league, and making us all look like a bunch of amateur fools? It seems as though it's only a matter of time.

For now, the new-look Ridgebacks will not be dominating anyone in 2020, except perhaps the Joplin Miners. If Allentown falls behind early (which seems entirely possible), grab your popcorn and watch as The Emperor performs his Jedi mind tricks for a whole new audience.

Prediction: 4th place. In his first trip around the BDBL, it took Tom DiStefano only one year to turn a 100-loss team into a BDBL champion. This time, he won't have Phil Geisel or Mike Leuck to help him out. It will be very interesting to see what he can do with this franchise.

Kansas Law Dogs

Owner: Chris Luhning
2019 Record: 105-55 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: Jacob deGrom (.580), Madison Bumgarner (.717), Brad Keller (.711) Cal Quantrill (.741), Jake Junis (.807)
Bullpen: Nick Anderson (.647), John Gant (.639), Miguel Castro (.712), Matt Barnes (.666), Tony Watson (.757), Josh Taylor (.642), Craig Stammen (.719)
Projected Lineup: Tim Anderson (SS, .865), Whit Merrifield (CF, .811), Cody Bellinger (1B, 1.035), Max Muncy (3B, .889), Eduardo Escobar (2B, .831), Ian Desmond/Alex Gordon (LF, .977/.760), Curt Casali/Stephen Vogt (C, .734/.835), Nomar Mazara (RF, .786)

Strengths: Don't look now, but Chris Luhning is quietly building the greatest pitching staff the BDBL has ever seen. He just added the reigning EL (and NL) Cy Young award winner to a pitching staff that already includes Luis Severino and Madison Bumgarner. Add in the top pitching prospect in baseball, Casey Mize, plus Jesus Luzardo and former top prospects Jon Duplantier and Cal Quantrill, and the potential here is downright frightening. But that is only what may happen in the future. For now, the Kansas staff is merely good, but led by a guy who will most likely win back-to-back Cy Young awards in the BDBL.

The offense centers around all-world MVP candidate Bellinger (.982/1.063 splits), who also brings an Ex glove to the game, as if his bat weren't enough. He is surrounded in the lineup by several above-average bats, including Muncy (.893/.887), who has come out of nowhere to become one of the best players in the game. He, too, brings an Ex glove to both first and third base. Given Mazara's numbers against lefties (a .646 OPS), it's safe to assume that Bellinger moves to right field against southpaws, Muncy takes over first, Escobar (.882) slides over to third, and Asdrubal Cabrera (.767) mans second. In other words, Kansas has plenty of flexibility offensively and defensively.

Weaknesses: Barnes (.638/.681 splits) has the most balanced splits of the bullpen corps, but he's hardly a dominant closer type. Unfortunately, no one on this roster fits that description very well. In the starting rotation, Junis (5.14 CERA, .834/.777 splits) looks like a liability, yet his innings are needed at this point. That may be a hole in the roster that will be filled later in the year.

Outlook: I predicted a .500 season for this team a year ago on this page, and they went out and won 105 games. Which shows how much I know. This year's team looks much better to me than last year's. Does that mean the 2020 'Dogs will win more than 105 games? I don't see it happening. But then, I've been wrong before.

Prediction: 1st place. Kansas won more games than any other team in the Eck League last year, but ran into a buzzsaw in the Division Series. It happens more often than you'd think. Given Chicago's apparent dominance, it seems unlikely that Kansas will own the best record in the EL again this year. They will, however, have a very strong team with a very good chance to advance far into the postseason.

Great Lakes Sphinx

Owner: Scott Romonosky
2019 Record:  (87-73, 2nd place, tied for 2nd wildcard)
Projected Rotation: Mike Minor (.704), Masahiro Tanaka (.751), Mike Fiers (.712), Trevor Williams (.851)
Bullpen: Hansel Robles (.595), Hector Neris (.613), Brad Peacock (.725), Chris Devenski (.784), Chaz Roe (.704)
Projected Lineup: D.J. LeMahieu (3B, .893), Brian Dozier (2B, .771), Manny Machado (SS, .796), Christian Yelich (LF, 1.100), Christian Vazquez/Will Smith (C, .894/1.019), Yonder Alonso/Mitch Moreland (1B, .862/.887), Josh Reddick/Kole Calhoun (CF, .841/.816), Jose Martinez/Adam Duvall (RF, .997/.761)

Strengths: Scott spent a LOT of money on Yelich, so he'd better be the strength of this team! He has some decent supporting players in the lineup, with LeMahieu (1.066/.830 splits) setting the table, and Machado and the catching platoon providing protection.

Weaknesses: The defensive alignment on this roster is a mess. Machado (.715 OPS vs. RH) is surprisingly ineffective against right-handers. The problem is that he is the only qualified player on the roster who is rated at shortstop (where he is rated Pr for range.) Defensively, LeMahieu's Vg range is an asset at second base, but he must be shifted to third (where he is Av) to make room for Dozier (rated Fr.)

On the pitching side, Minor and Tanaka are mid-rotation starters who are being paid like aces (or, at least, borderline aces.) Neither pitcher is likely to earn a Cy Young vote this season, and yet they're being paid $16 million combined (with a guaranteed $33.5 million over the next two years.) That blabbermouth Fiers (.687/.737 splits) is a decent #3 starter, but Williams (5.11 CERA, .944/.782) is bloody awful. There aren't enough innings here to fill an entire season of usage, so something will need to be done about that, eventually.

Outlook: Every year, I predict the Sphinx won't make it to the postseason, and every year they make me look foolish. Last year, they only managed to save my reputation as a prognosticator by losing a one-game playoff to advance to another one-game playoff. This year, I cannot see how this team wins more than 85 games. If 85 wins is enough to capture that fourth seed in the playoffs, then so be it.

Prediction: 2nd place. Yelich hit 44 home runs in a MLB ballpark with a LH HR factor of 104. He's moving to a BDBL park where that factor is 121. 50 homers seems well within reach. If nothing else, that will give Sphinx fans a cause for celebration.

Buckingham Sovereigns

Owners: Tony Badger
2019 Record: 83-77 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Patrick Corbin (.668), Lance Lynn (.689), Anthony DeSclafani (.717), Domingo German (.727), Collin McHugh (.733)
Bullpen: Brandon Workman (.433), Adam Ottavino (.624), Scott Oberg (.569), Chris Martin (.675), Trey Wingenter (.633), Brad Hand (.695)
Projected Lineup: Eric Sogard (2B, .810), Gio Urshela (3B, .889), Mike Trout (CF, 1.083), Marwin Gonzalez/Brandon Belt (1B, .789/.769), Jay Bruce (RF, .784), Teoscar Hernandez/Mike Tauchman (LF, .834/.823), Elias Diaz/Tucker Barnhart (C, .648/.760), Elvis Andrus (SS, .707)

Strengths: For the eighth, and possibly final, year in a row, the strength of this team is their center fielder. He is the gift from Tom DiStefano that has kept on giving, year after year. Now in the final year of his contract, Mike Trout remains the best player in the game, without question. On the pitching side, Corbin and Lynn form a strong top of the rotation. Workman is arguably the most dominant reliever in the game. His hits per nine rate (3.6) ranks among the lowest in recent memory.

Weaknesses: Trout is practically alone in that lineup. I did the best I could to provide him with some protection in my projected lineup above, but there just isn't much to work with. Tauchman is probably the best option, but he is limited to 325 plate appearances. Urshela (.876/.895 splits) could fit the role, but someone needs to set the table. I can't imagine any opposing manager opting not to intentionally walk Trout because they fear having to face Jay Bruce or Marwin Gonzalez.

Outlook: Tony Badger would undoubtedly like to give his star franchise player a proper send-off with a well-deserved appearance in the postseason. Unlike the real Mike Trout, the BDBL version has actually seen the postseason, and actually won a ring with this franchise (then called the Wyoming Ridgebacks) in 2014. The problem is that it's impossible to win a spot in the playoffs with only one player.

Badger has resisted the temptation to trade Trout since he took over the franchise in 2016. The Sovereigns have finished above .500 in each of the four seasons since then, and captured a division title with 100 wins as recently as 2018. Pitching could carry this team to another postseason appearance. If not, Trout may finally see the Transactions page for the first time since 2010.

Prediction: 3rd place. Trout's VORP is 81.5, so if he is traded, it will be the only major trade the Sovereigns can make this year.

Saskatoon Sasquatch

Owner: Kyle Robinson
2019 Record: 62-98 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Kenta Maeda (.642), Zach Wheeler (.694), Yu Darvish (.695)
Bullpen: Roberto Osuna (.555), Roenis Elias (.728), Mychal Givens (.722), Wilmer Font (.797), Matt Magill (.760), Heath Hembree (.772)
Projected Lineup: Cavan Biggio (2B, .793), Lourdes Gourriel (1B, .869), Carlos Correa (SS, .926), Austin Meadows (LF, .922), Omar Narvaez (C, .813), Scott Kingery (3B, .788), Tyler Naquin (RF, .792), Raimel Tapia (CF, .724)

Strengths: The 'Squatch rotation includes three of the top fifty starting pitchers in baseball. Osuna is one of the top closers in the game. Gourriel, Correa, and Meadows form a devastating trio in the heart of the lineup. Kingery, Meadows, and Naquin are all above-average, defensively.

Weaknesses: For obvious reasons (see below), this team suffers from a lack of depth. Once you get past Osuna, the rest of the bullpen is very hittable. The top three starting pitchers are currently the ONLY three starting pitchers on the roster with more than 100 innings pitched in MLB '19 (unless you count Kyle Freeland and his 6.23 CERA.) Narvaez (.699 OPS) can't hit lefties, but has no platoon partner. Ditto for Tapia, who posted a .694 OPS against southpaws.

Outlook: What a damn shame that this team racked up a whopping $11 million in usage penalties last year. If it hadn't been for that, Saskatoon might be the odds-on favorite to win this division. The season has not yet begun, but already, Kyle Robinson has thrown in the towel by trading Nelson Cruz, Michael Brantley, and Brad Miller to Charlotte during the draft. Add those three back to this roster, and throw in $11 million in spending money, and you're looking at a division champion.

Instead, we're looking at another rebuilding year in Saskatoon. This team, as currently composed, would likely be competitive. The problem is that usage will run out quickly with only three starting pitchers. With the decision already made, the question of this team's fate turns to the future. With that in mind, this franchise seems to be in a good position.

Darvish, Maeda, and Wheeler all become free agents at the end of this season. Unfortunately, Robinson cannot trade Darvish (or Osuna, for that matter) because he is franchised. But he could trade, say, Maeda and Wheeler, or Maeda and Narvaez (another 2020 free agent), and have plenty of VORP remaining for another smaller trade, like 2020 free agent Naquin.

A LOT of money will come off the books this winter. $25.3 million will be freed from 2020 free agents alone. Add to that another $2.3 million in Rule 7.16 penalties, which will also be wiped out next year. If Robinson can maximize the trade value of those players mentioned above, if he uses that $27 million wisely next winter, and if some of the young players on this team (Biggio, Kingery, Alex Kirilloff, Meadows, Josiah Gray, Matt Liberatore, Nate Pearson) continue to develop, this team can turn it around very quickly.

Prediction: 4th place, but not for much longer.

Southern Cal Slyme

Owner: Bob Sylvester, Sr.
2019 Record: 90-70 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: Zack Greinke (.623), Lucas Giolito (.646), Marco Gonzales (.736), Trevor Bauer (.743), Cole Hamels (.740), Mike Foltynewicz (.764)
Bullpen: Jarlin Garcia (.602), Jameson Taillon (.680), Jake Diekman (.668), Sam Gaviglio (.718), Raisel Iglesias (.743), Yoshihisa Hirano (.723)
Projected Lineup: Ketel Marte (SS, .981), Yoan Moncada (2B, .915), Eugenio Suarez (3B, .930), Jose Abreu (1B, .834), Jorge Soler (RF, .922), Ryan Braun (LF, .849), Jorge Alfaro (C, .736), Alex Verdugo (CF, .817)

Strengths: Greinke and Giolito are two of the top ten pitchers in the game. Those two alone can practically ensure at least a split of every series. The rest of the rotation is almost overkill. Sylvester spent $8 million this winter on Bauer, who becomes the team's third-best starting pitcher -- and even that is debatable. He then went out and added Hamels, who now becomes a back-end starter.

The sudden emergence of Marte and Moncada on the scene in MLB '19 has really transformed this lineup into something special. Either Moncada or Suarez will have to play out of position, as both players are only rated at third base. Both bats NEED to be in this lineup. The obvious landing spot is second base, which pushes Luis Urias (.892 OPS vs. LH) and Robinson Cano (.799 vs. RH) to the bench. That's a nice problem to have.

Suarez and Soler finished #2 and #3 in Major League Baseball last year in home runs. Here, they share the same lineup. If the Slyme were a Rotisserie team, they would win just about every offensive category.

Weaknesses: There are a couple of dead spots in the field. One of the two third basemen playing out of position at second would cost the team around 30-35 runs for the season. Jorge Soler's Pr range in right field costs another 30. That's six wins right there.

Outlook: With two aces and a lineup filled with Babe Ruth award candidates, it looks like the Slyme are the clear favorites in this division. There are no real holes to fill through trading, so what you see is likely what you'll get in November. This is an exciting young team with many years of success ahead of them. Basically, the Slyme have become what I thought the Apostles would be by now!

Prediction: 1st place. With this lineup and two aces, this team can go far in the playoffs. Last year's division title required a shocking Chapter Six collapse by the Apostles. This year's title won't require any such collapse. SoCal could win this division by double-digits.

St. Louis Apostles

Owner: Bobby Sylvester, Jr.
2019 Record: 87-73 (2nd place, EL second wildcard)
Projected Rotation: Noah Syndergaard (.714), Adam Wainwright (.782), Michael Wacha (.865), C.C. Sabathia (.843), Chris Archer (.793), Dinelson Lamet (.721)
Bullpen: Pedro Baez (.543), Felipe Child Molester Vazquez (.571), Pedro Baez (.543), Jose Leclerc (.701), Diego Castillo (.685), Chad Green (.735)
Projected Lineup: Howie Kendrick (2B, .966), Anthony Rendon (3B, 1.010), Yulieski Gurriel (1B, .884), Michael Conforto (CF, .856), Ildemaro Vargas/Willy Adames (SS, 1.025/.817), Yasiel Puig (RF, .785), Franmil Reyes (LF, .822), Russell Martin/Tyler Flowers (C, .748/.817)

Strengths: This lineup is relentless. MVP candidate Rendon is obviously the centerpiece. He is surrounded by one masher after another. At no point can an opposing pitcher relax and breathe. Rendon (1.050), someone named Ildemaro Vargas (1.025), Reyes (.881), Kendrick (1.036), and bench players David Freese (.899) and Wil Myers (.877) all destroy left-handed pitching. Rendon (.996), Kendrick (.930), Gurriel (.916), Freese (1.172), and Conforto (.926) all crush righties. The Apostles just may score 1,000 runs this season.

Weaknesses: I don't know what's happening with the starting rotation. I know that Bobby has gone all-in on the "bullpenning" craze, but this is madness. Syndergaard (3.66 CERA, .750/.684) isn't bad. After that...I don't know what the plan is. Only one other pitcher on the roster threw more than 130 innings last year, and that was washed-up Wainwright (171+ IP, 4.64 CERA, .884/.699 splits.)

The problem with the bullpenning strategy is that you have to have a great bullpen. The problem with building a great bullpen is that relievers are so erratic, you never know what you'll get from one year to the next. A year ago, Edwin Diaz and Chad Green were among the best relievers in the game. Today, not so much. St. Louis still has a wide selection of quality bullpen arms, but will it be enough to get through a full season?

Another potential issue is that St. Louis plays in a home ballpark with very favorable (113/120) home run factors, and Apostles pitchers serve up a lot of longballs. Sabathia (2.3 HR/9), Archer (1.9), Wacha (1.8), and Lamet (1.5) all allow homers at an above-average rate.

Outlook: It seems like I keep waiting for the Apostles to become the type of dynasty that the Undertakers have been over the past decade. Instead, they seem to be moving backward. 2019 was the second year in a row in which St. Louis won fewer games than the year before. Shouldn't they be moving in the opposite direction? This year's team looks promising. It's foolish to discount a team that could score 1,000 runs. But the Apostles don't look like a championship team to me.

Prediction: 2nd place. Looking at this lineup, it seems crazy to predict that they won't make the playoffs. There are simply too many great teams in the Eck League this year.

Niagara Locks

Owner: Mike Ranney
2019 Record: 59-101 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Homer Bailey (.719), Matt Strahm (.787), Eric Lauer (.760), Martin Perez (.785), Kyle Gibson (.782), Tyler Glasnow (.509), Tyler Skaggs (.689)
Bullpen: Kirby Yates (.515), Robert Stephenson (.634), Cam Bedrosian (.619), Archie Bradley (.714), Carlos Estevez (.756), Lucas Sims (.711)
Projected Lineup: Victor Robles (CF, .745), Tommy Edman/Jason Heyward (RF, .964/.831), Xander Bogaerts (SS, .939), Domingo Santana (LF, .770), Robinson Chirinos (C, .790), Yandy Diaz/Eric Hosmer (1B, .976/.781), Renato Nunez/Vlad Guerrero (3B, .836/.822), Ryan McMahon (2B, .779)

Strengths: The Locks could field a very strong lineup against left-handers. Bogaerts (.910 OPS), Chirinos (.915), Diaz (.976), and Edman (.964) all bash lefties. They aren't even listed above, but Byron Buxton (.923), Travis d'Arnaud (.888), Joey Gallo (1.174), Carson Kelly (1.128), and Kevan Smith (.910) are all lefty-killers as well.

Weaknesses: Is Homer Bailey seriously the ace of this staff? That pretty much says it all, doesn't it? Not only is this a below-average pitching staff, but there aren't enough innings to get through the season. Which means it will only get worse once Ranney is done combing through the free agent scrap heap.

The lineup against right-handers is underwhelming aside from Bogaerts (.950 OPS vs. RH.) Gallo (.902), who is limited to 326 PA's this season, is the only other real threat against righties.

Outlook: I'm baffled by Ranney's strategy this winter. Yates is, of course, a very good reliever, but I can't help but question the reasoning behind giving a 33-year-old relief pitcher a $7 million salary with a three-year, $22 million, commitment. Relievers are notoriously fickle creatures. The odds of Yates imploding in MLB 2020 are pretty high. This team is in desperate need of starting pitching, but their highest-paid player is now a reliever? The most attractive feature of Yates is his trade value, and yet he can't be traded until after this season. At that salary, he may be tough to move, regardless.

The Locks have one of the most exciting young teams in the league, featuring several of the top prospects in baseball. To date, they remain a team of potential. We can dream about a future lineup filled with the likes of Vlad Guerrero, Jr., Wander F'ing Franco, Jasson Dominguez, Victor Robles, and Bobby Witt, Jr.. It could be the greatest lineup ever assembled. But for now, it's still in the "could be" stage of development.

Having the greatest lineup in baseball history wouldn't mean much if the pitching remains below-average. Glasnow's performance last year sparks some hope for the future, but that is about all the franchise has at the moment. If the Locks find themselves falling out of the division race this year, securing a franchise pitcher should be the number one priority.

Prediction: 3rd place. Niagara doesn't have much to offer as trade bait except for their stellar prospects. Wouldn't it be a bold move if Ranney traded one of those prospects for a top pitching prospect? Mike...you know where to reach me.

South Carolina Sea Cats

Owner: Tony DeCastro
2019 Record: 78-82 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: German Marquez (.740), Michael Pineda (.721), Blake Snell (.702), Andrew Cashner (.742), Jason Vargas (.751), Julio Urias (.603), Zac Gallen (.660)
Bullpen: Aaron Bummer (.520), Tommy Kahnle (.635), Daniel Ponce de Leon (.666), Luke Jackson (.733), Jeremy Jeffress (.734), Matt Andriese (.757)
Projected Lineup: Ozzie Albies (2B, .852), Nate Lowe/Brandon Lowe (1B, 1.018/.899), Max Kepler (RF, .855), Yasmani Grandal (C, .848), Pablo Sandoval/Brian Anderson (3B, .936/.834), Paul DeJong (SS, .762), Kevin Pillar/Brett Gardner (CF, .823/.892), Josh Naylor (RF, .719)

Strengths: Kepler and Grandal are a couple of nice (though expensive) building blocks picked up at the auction this winter. They come at a combined cost of $17.5 million, but they are decent risks at their age, and solid investments for the next two years. They form the heart of a lineup that would be very underwhelming without them.

Weaknesses: Marquez will obviously pitch better in the BDBL than he did in MLB, thanks to ballpark factors. Otherwise, this starting rotation is yawn-inducing. Snell was weirdly killed by lefties (.893 OPS) last year, and is limited to 117 innings. Gallen is arguably the team's best starting pitcher, but is limited to just 88 innings.

Offensively, I couldn't find a platoon partner for Naylor (.674 OPS vs. LH). Given that he's limited to 306 PA's, he will need some help either way. Gardner (.892 vs. RH) and, to a lesser extent, Kepler (.845), are the only two scary threats in the lineup against right-handed pitching.

Outlook: DeCastro somewhat employed the "warm bodies" draft strategy that I decried during the draft. He paid $8 million, combined, for a couple of inning-eaters, Pineda and Cashner. Granted, there is a chance Pineda actually pitches well enough in MLB '20 to be retained at $5 million next winter. Otherwise, both pitchers are merely placeholders without much present trade value or future value to the Sea Cats.

South Carolina has not finished above .500 since 2006. Since that time, Kevin Slowey, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Felix Pie, Manny Parra, Micah Owings, Diasuke Matsuzaka, Tim Lincecum, Phil Hughes, Josh Hamilton, Yovani Gallardo, and John Danks all made their Major League debuts and have since retired from the game. Something needs to change in South Carolina. Sea Cats fans have suffered long enough.

Prediction: 4th place. DeJong, Gardner, and Kahnle are all free agents at the end of this season. They would be reasonably attractive trade bait if/when the time comes to fold the tent on the 2020 season.

Chicago Black Sox

Owner: John Gill
2019 Record: 98-62 (1st place)
Projected Rotation: Charlie Morton (.623), Shane Bieber (.663), Clayton Kershaw (.664), Tyler Mahle (.775), Dallas Keuchel (.764), Tyler Chatwood (.685)
Bullpen: Carlos Martinez (.590), Brandon Kintzler (.632), Oliver Drake (.612), Matt Bowman (.628), Daniel Hudson (.650), Luke Bard (.691), Adam Kolarek (.669)
Projected Lineup: Kris Bryant (3B, .903), Freddie Freeman (1B, .938), Bryce Harper (CF, .882), Willson Contreras (C, .888), Mike Moustakas (2B, .845), Kyle Schwarber (LF, .871), Javier Baez (SS, .847), Eloy Jimenez (LF, .828)

Strengths: Good god, man, this lineup is beyond ridiculous. As you can see, every player in the lineup has an overall OPS over .800. I don't know if that has ever happened in the BDBL before. Hell, I couldn't even find room for Jonathan Schoop (.917 OPS vs. LH), Austin Romine (.818 vs. LH), Phillip Ervin (1.038 vs. LH), Charlie Culberson (.862 vs. LH), or Ehire Adrianza (.773/.762 splits.) SIX Chicago batters hit more than 30 homers in MLB '19. Three more hit 20-plus. 1,000 runs scored seems like a given with this squad.

Then, there is the pitching. Morton, Bieber, and Kershaw are arguably the best one-through-three pitchers in the Eck League. (Oddly enough, Saskatoon is the only team who can make an argument there.) The bullpen is so deep that you can place those names above in any order and it would make practical sense.

Weaknesses: Morton, Bieber, and Kershaw are all rated Vg for durability, so this team may not need a number four starter for the postseason...but it wouldn't hurt. The back end of the rotation is really the only area of weakness that I can see.

Outlook: This is what a true "superteam" looks like. There is no way to pitch around this lineup. There is no way to load up with left- or right-handers in an attempt to take advantage of split weaknesses. There is really nothing an opposing team can do but hope for some lucky breaks.

The Black Sox are a perfectly-constructed team, built from the farm-up. Harper, Baez, Bryant, Contreras, Jimenez, and Schwarber are all products of the Chicago farm system. Together, they earn just $13.5 million. Almost any one of those players -- alone -- would earn at least $13.5 million on the open market. Saving that much salary below market value allows Chicago to carry players like Freeman, Moustakas, and Kershaw, who arguably earn a bit above market value.

This is how you build a franchise, folks. Take notes. John Gill is teaching a clinic.

Prediction: 1st place, and the BDBL championship. John is 0-for-3 in BDBL World Series coming into this season. Last year, the Cowtippers finally broke their World Series curse. Now it's John's turn.

Charlotte Mustangs

Owner: Tony Chamra
2019 Record: 90-70 (1st EL wildcard, Eck League Champions)
Projected Rotation: Jose "Don't Call Me J.O." Berrios (.707), Kyle Hendricks (.687), Julio Teheran (.717), Zach Eflin (.775), Trent Thornton (.768)
Bullpen: Giovanny Gallegos (.546), Michael Lorenzen (.644), Anthony Bass (.560), Austin Adams (.615), Jairo Diaz (.745), Jacob Webb (.661)
Projected Lineup: Jose Altuve (2B, .903), Michael Brantley (RF, .875), Alex Bregman (SS, 1.015), Nelson Cruz (LF, 1.031), Juan Soto (CF, .949), Miguel Cabrera/Matt Beaty (1B, .971/.840), Yadier Molina (C, .711), Luis Arreaz (3B, .838)

Strengths: The top of the Charlotte lineup is absolutely stacked, thanks to Chamra's mid-draft trade with the Saskatoon Sasquatch. Brantley (.740/.928 splits) and Cruz (1.207/.971) add two more impact bats to a lineup that already included Altuve (1.057/.849), Soto (.850/1.000), and Bregman (1.186/.945). Basically, compared to last year's obscenely-stacked lineup, the Mustangs replaced Christian Yelich and Mitch Haniger with Cruz and Brantley. (Which is perhaps a slight downgrade.)

Gallegos (.518/.568 splits) is a legit closer, and Lorenzen (.629/.655) is a terrific setup man (who also qualifies at all three outfield positions!) The bullpen has great depth, which won't be as crucial this year as it was a year ago, as the Charlotte starting rotation has improved. Berrios, Hendricks, and Teheran are capable of racking up gobs of quality starts. Berrios (Ex durability) and Hendricks (Vg) can also go deep into the game.

Weaknesses: There are some holes in this lineup. Bregman can play third base or shortstop with above-average range. Arraez (who is limited to 402 PA's) can also play third or short. Brad Miller (limited to 187 PA's) is rated Av at third base. Addison Russell (limited to 265 PA's) is Av at shortstop. The problem is that neither Arraez (.696 OPS), Miller (.589), or Russell (.653) can hit left-handers.

There is another hole behind the plate. Molina (.676 OPS) can't hit right-handers, but neither can backup catchers Austin Hedges (.587) and Austin Barnes (.656). Reese McGuire (.924) can hit righties, but is limited to 101 PA's.

The defense is a bit of a mess as well. Cruz is not rated at any position, which means (thanks to league voting last September) he must be rated with Pr range, with an error rating three times the league average. This will cost roughly 35-40 runs over the course of the season.

Outlook: Tony Chamra came within one strike of winning his second BDBL championship last November. A lesser man might have called it quits, gone into hiding, or collapsed into an inconsolable fetal position in the corner of a dark room, muttering "Kike F'ing Hernandez...Kike F'ing Hernandez..." over and over. Instead, Chamra woke up the next morning, hobbled across the room to the fridge, cracked four raw eggs into a glass, downed it in one gulp, and headed out into the frigid air to begin training for his next fight.

Chamra characterized his big trade with Saskatoon as "stomping a big foot forward." That is an apt description for a trade where he sacrificed a few significant pieces of the future in an effort to defend his Eck League title. Cruz and Brantley bulk up a lineup that was already among the best in the league. The only possible downside is that Charlotte used up 87.1 out of their maximum 110 VORP points with this one trade. This leaves little room for improvement, if needed.

Prediction: 2nd place, and the EL wildcard. The 2020 Mustangs are similar in ways to the 2019 team that came within one strike of winning it all. (Have I mentioned that?) This team has no Christian Yelich, and no Blake Treinen-like closer -- two key reasons why Charlotte advanced so far last November. The 'Stangs caught lightning in a bottle last November, but as we know, lightning never strikes twice.

Cleveland Rocks

Owner: Mike Stein
2019 Record: 74-86 (3rd place)
Projected Rotation: Justin Verlander (.579), Mike Soroka (.628), Miles Mikolas (.761), Reynaldo Lopez (.833)
Bullpen: Yusmeiro Petit (.579), Joaquim Soria (.608), Nick Wittgren (.676), Steve Cishek (.642), Ian Kennedy (.675), Yoan Lopez (.728)
Projected Lineup: Luke Voit (1B, .842), Gleyber Torres (2B, .871), Trevor Story (SS, .917), Gary Sanchez (C, .841), Justin Turner (3B, .881), Tommy Pham (LF, .818), Avisail Garcia (CF, .796), Hunter Renfroe (RF, .778)

Strengths: In any other division, I would be writing about how Cleveland has the best lineup in the division. In the Hrbek Division, I don't even know that I can say it's the second-best. This lineup features five players with a .900-plus OPS against lefties, and five regulars with an .850-plus OPS against right-handers.

Verlander (1.80 CERA, .564/.595 splits), as always, is an asset. The ageless wonder, pitching this BDBL season at age 37, shows no signs of slowing down. Which is a good thing for Cleveland, who owes him another $15.5 million next year. The rookie Soroka (2.86, .750/.537) came out of nowhere to become Cleveland's second ace.

Weaknesses: The back end of the starting rotation is weak, and the number five starter is non-existent. This team is around 150 innings short of having enough starting pitching to get through a season -- and that is with Reynaldo Lopez (5.33 CERA, .863/.806 splits) pitching every fourth game.

Defensively, Sanchez is still an error machine behind the plate, with an error rating over three times league average.

Outlook: Again, if this team were in any other division, I would be writing about a possible division title -- or, at least, a wildcard. Instead, the Black Sox are the obvious favorite to win the division. That leaves Cleveland and Charlotte to fight over the title of second-best. Both teams have a strong offense, but I think Charlotte gets the edge there. Both teams have a solid top half of the starting rotation. Cleveland gets the obvious edge there, with Verlander being miles better than Jose Berrios, and Soroka topping Kyle Hendricks.

Both teams have solid bullpens. The biggest difference, it seems, is the back end of the rotation, where Cleveland simply doesn't match up. Having a poor number four starter means there is a better-than-average chance of losing every fourth game. Throw in the fact that, eventually, a number five starter will be needed, and the problem compounds over time.

I believe Cleveland will keep pace with Charlotte early in this season, but then slowly begin to fall behind as those holes in the rotation become more exposed. Of course, Cleveland could patch those holes through trading, but is Mike Stein really willing to sacrifice the team's future for a chance to finish second-best in this division? I've seen him do crazier shit than that.

Prediction: 3rd place. If they do decide to go for it, the Rocks don't have much to offer in terms of prospects. Sean Manaea (who is only signed for one more year) could fetch a decent starter in return if he has a full and healthy season in MLB.

Myrtle Beach Hitmen

Owners: Mitch Gill (GM), Ryne Gill (manager)
2019 Record: 46-114 (4th place)
Projected Rotation: Max Fried (.743), Jake Arrieta (.799), Jon Lester (.815), Trevor Cahill (.880), Drew Smyly (.916)
Bullpen: Jared Hughes (.725), Blake Parker (.746), Adam Cimber (.720), Andrew Miller (.739)
Projected Lineup: Jean Segura/Didi Gregorius (SS, .905/.712), Rhys Hoskins (1B, .819), Marcell Ozuna (RF, .800), Khris Davis/Nick Markakis (LF, .918/.816), Brandon Nimmo/Victor Reyes (CF, 1.190/.787), Maikel Franco/Harold Castro (3B, .794/.745), Danny Jansen/John Hicks (C, .728/.595), Tim Beckham (2B, .753)

Strengths: The lineup against left-handers won't be all that bad. Davis (.918 OPS), Hoskins (.980), Nimmo (1.190), and Segura (.905) all smash lefties pretty well. That alone should lead to a few wins this year.

Weaknesses: Against right-handers, only Markakis (.816) and Ozuna (.809) own an OPS north of .800. Using MLB '19 team total stats, the Hitmen have the lowest OBP (.303) and slugging percentage (.401) in the BDBL. Using the same team totals, Myrtle Beach owns the highest team ERA (4.95) in the league, as well as the highest OPS allowed (.811).

Outlook: GM Mitch Gill made six trades in the month of January, all with the goal of stockpiling more youth and veterans with upside who may have some value in 2021 and beyond. Just three years after taking over this franchise from Jim Doyle, there is very little of the original Doyle-era franchise remaining. This is, for all intents and purposes, the Gill brothers' team now.

The Hitmen have finished with over 100 losses three years in a row, and there is no reason to believe 2020 won't be the fourth. Both Mitch and Ryne know this is true, but they're not concerned with 2020. Their focus is on the future. With that goal in mind, they are taking a page from their father's guidebook. As mentioned above, the elder Gill built his current superteam from the farm-up. At present, the Myrtle Beach Hitmen own the best farm system in the BDBL. They have ranked among the top ten in our annual BDBL Farm Report three years in a row, including the #1 ranking in last year's report. They will undoubtedly repeat that #1 ranking this year.

Just as I wrote today about the Chicago Black Sox building their team around a core of Bryce Harper, Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Eloy Jimenez, and Kyle Schwarber, perhaps I will be writing about the Myrtle Beach Hitmen in January of 2025, and how they built their dominant superteam through a farm core of Jo Adell, Joey Bart, Alec Bohm, Kristian Robinson, Mackenzie Gore, Tarik Skubal, and Forrest Whitley.

Prediction: 4th place, with over 110 losses.