2019 CFOD SEASON PREVIEW "Your Mileage May Vary!" Predicted Playoff Teams: Mantle Division - San Francisco Organization Koufax Division - Pig's Eye Pirates Ruth Division - Miami Mangos Young Division - Seattle Moshers MK Conference Wildcard - Cincinnati Rock RY Conference Wildcard - California Coneheads #1 League Wildcard - Olympia Rainiers #2 League Wildcard - Arlington Arthropods WORLD SERIES PREDICTION - Mangos over Pirates ******************************************************************************* Mantle Division - 1. San Francisco Organization (Last Year: 74-88, 5th in division) HITTERS: The trade of Corey Kluber for a couple of 1st round draft picks proved to be a stellar deal, as the Organization netted #1 overall pick Pete Alonso, who should hit 50+ home runs. Josh Donaldson should have a strong comeback season, and acquisition Yasmani Grandal offers some offense from the catcher position. Veterans Ryan Braun and Asdrubal Cabrera also add to the offense. PITCHERS: In addition to Alonso, the Kluber trade also brough on board Shane Bieber, who has become a workhorse ace to anchor the rotation. Mike Clevinger puts up a shortened but playoff eligible year, and Adrian Houser, Domingo German and Joey Lucchesi fill out a solid rotation. Ken Giles and Hansel Robles lead a capable bullpen. The Organization should have one of the best pitching staffs in the league this year. OVERALL: The Corey Kluber trade of a year ago pays off big dividends, as the Organization are stocked to make a run in the playoffs. 2. Arlington Arthropods (Last Year: 90-72, 70-92, 6th in division) HITTERS: A Mike Trout in his prime and an up and coming Alex Bregman give the Arthropods a high powered offense. Franmil Reyes, Miguel Sano and Gary Sanchez provide some pop in the lineup. Adam Eaton should score plenty of runs at the top of the lineup, and Shohei Ohtani can provide some elite pinch hitting or play at first base. PITCHERS: Luis Castillo and Jeff Samardzjia give Arlington a pair of aces who can pitch every 5th day, and Anthony DeSclafani is a solid #3 starter. The rest of the rotation gets piecework after that. Shane Greene is the standout reliever in the bullpen, but the rest are average at best. OVERALL: Fantastic offense, some solid starters, the Arthropods might need a few more relievers to challenge San Francisco for the Mantle Division title. 3. Angry Candy (Last Year: 90-72, 99-63, Mantle Division winner) HITTERS: Anthony Rendon, Eduardo Escobar and Max Muncy form a trio of all-star hitters, each good for 35+ home runs. The rest of the lineup are either part timers or young stars in a slump year (such as Andrew Benintendi). Still, platooning might work wonders here. PITCHERS: Young Mike Soroka gets thrust into the ace role, and should be up for the job. The rest of the rotation gets pretty thin pretty fast. Taylor Rogers should be a solid closer. While Soroka and Rogers are the only all-star candidates on the roster, the pitching staff should come out around league average. OVERALL: The Angry Candy should post a few all-stars this year, but may be hard pressed to win the division. 4. Mechan Syndicate (Last Year: 87-75, 2nd in division) HITTERS: Mookie Betts is a perennial MVP candidate, and this year is no exception, hitting for average, power and speed. Marcus Semien, Mike Moustakas, Josh Bell and Randal Grichuk are all 30+ home run threats, and Jonathan Villar is a speedy infielder who will compete for the stolen bases crown. No shortage of run scoring opportunities for this team. PITCHERS: With the expected run support Zack Greinke could win 20 games. Eduardo Rodriguez is a solid 2nd starter, and Michael Pineda helps fill out the rotation. After that the pitching gets iffy. The bullpen will really struggle to keep narrow leads. Some trades may be in order. OVERALL: Some fantastic hitting and good top of the order starters. The Syndicate will need to bring in lots of bullpen help to make the playoffs this year. 5. Fightin' Oglethorpes of Georgia (Last Year: 80-82, 3rd in division) HITTERS: Georgia has one of the best double play combos in the league in Ozzie Albies and Tim Anderson. Both hit for average, hit for power and have some speed. After Bryan Reynolds the lineup starts to see diminishing returns. PITCHERS: The Fightin' Oglethorpes feature a trio of innings eating quality starters in Aaron Nola, Brett Anderson and Jake Odorizzi. The bullpen has some decent pitching, but no obvious closer candidates. It may be closer by committee in 2019. OVERALL: A few nice players, but Georgia will need more depth to move higher in the division. 6. Springfield 'Topes (Last Year: 90-72, 75-87, 4th in division) HITTERS: Eugenio Suarez should have a monster season at the hot corner, hitting 50+ home runs. Joey Gallo can slam them when healthy (which is 50% of the time in 2019), and Yasiel Puig and Eric Thames provide some hitting to the lineup. There will likely be lots of platooning in Springfield this year. PITCHERS: John Means is their #1 starter by default, but the rest of the rotation will struggle to keep the score down. If they do get to the 7th inning with a lead, they'll likely keep it, as Kirby Yates, Emilio Pagan and Will Harris form a mighty trio of relievers. OVERALL: Suarez should be an all-star this year and the bullpen is strong, but a lack of starting pitching may hamper the 'Topes hopes this year. ******************************************************************************* Koufax Division - 1. Pig's Eye Pirates (Last Year: 99-63, Koufax Division winner) HITTERS: Christian Yelich ups his "A" game, hitting for average, speed and power and could be a MVP repeat. Jose Altuve is still the league's best at 2B, and Max Kepler and Anthony Rizzo add a lot of punch to the lineup. Hunter Pence, Clint Frazier and Carson Kelly had some part time pop. PITCHERS: Jacob deGrom is in line for another strong season and could repeat as Cy Young winner. Anibal Sanchez, Sandy Alcantara and Madison Bumgarner fill out a well rounded rotation. Time will tell who the Pirates' closer will be, but there are some quality bullpen arms. The pitching staff should vie for the league's best ERA. OVERALL: Slotting the Pirates at the top of the division in the season previews seems like tradition now, and 2019 is no different. They are geared to contend. 2. Cincinnati Rock (Last Year: 87-75, 3rd in division) HITTERS: Rafael Devers has emerged as one of the best young infielders in the game, hitting for power and average. Acquired veterans Edwin Encarnacion and Howie Kendrick can still hit in their twilight playing years, and Jeff McNeil and Starling Marte provide average and some pop in the outfield. PITCHERS: Gerrit Cole is one of the best pitchers in the game and is an early Cy Young favorite. Brandon Woodruff, Marco Gonzalez and Zack Plesac round out a playoff ready rotation. Carlos Martinez, Giovanny Gallegos and Ryan Pressly provide some stellar options in the bullpen, but it quickly gets journeyman after that. OVERALL: Giancarlo who? There's enough talent in Cincinnati this year to make a run at the playoffs. 3. Walcott Walruses (Last Year: 75-87, 5th in division) HITTERS: The trade of Corey Seager to bring aboard Cody Bellinger looks better every year, as Bellinger's power, average and speed make him an MVP candidate. Trevor Story may be the best hitting shortstop in the league, and Russ Springer and Matt Chapman are good for 35+ home runs. Scoring runs will not be a problem for this team. PITCHERS: Stephen Strasburg and Sonny Gray are a formidable 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. Robbie Ray is a capable innings eater at the third spot in the rotation, but the tail end of the rotation will be iffy. Aroldis Chapman and Zack Britton give Walcott their usual solid choices at closer. OVERALL: Some punishing hitting, solid closers and solid pitchers at the top of the rotation will make the Walruses playoff contenders this year. 4. Minneapolis Malice (Last Year: 89-73, 2nd in division, 2019 MK Conference champ) HITTERS: JD Martinez continues to be one of the best cleanup hitters in the league. DJ LeMahieu should score plenty of runs ahead of Martinez, hitting for average and with some pop. Veteran Brett Gardner should also be good for 30 home runs. Joey Votto is still plugging along, although he's mainly just a source for walks these days. PITCHERS: Blake Snell regresses this year, and seems to take the rest of the rotation with him. They'll struggle to contain runs. Sergio Romo leads the bullpen which is similarly ill-staffed to keep the score low. OVERALL: A few nice hitters, but the lack of pitching will make it difficult for the Malice to make the world series for a 2nd year in a row. 5. Lakeview Zeros (Last Year: 68-94, 6th in division) HITTERS: Trea Turner is one of the better young speedy shortstops in the league, and should score plenty of runs ahead of Freddie Freeman, who is a classic #3 hitter. James McCann provides some nice pop for catcher, but after that the hitting starts getting thin. PITCHERS: Max Scherzer remains one of the most elite starters in the league, and he's joined by promising rookie Chris Paddack. Chris Bassitt, Jon Gray and Yu Darvish give the Zeros one of the better rotations in the league. Alex Colome and Daniel Hudson lead a capable bullpen. OVERALL: Lakeview has some nice pitching, but their hitting will really need to surprise this year to rise in the rankings. 6. Somerville Sluggers (Last Year: 78-84, 4th in division) HITTERS: Manny Machado is good for 30+ home runs, but seems to be hitting under his potential. Former #1 overall draft pick Carlos Correa is injured this year, and is in a logjam situation at shortstop with 30+ homer threat Paul DeJong. Somerville does feature quite a few players who can hit a home run, but with a low batting average. PITCHERS: Patrick Corbin is a legit ace, but the rest of the rotation leaves a lot to be desired. Brandon Workman could be an elite closer .. for the games where the team actually has a lead. Overall the pitching staff will have one of the higher league ERAs. OVERALL: A few nice players, but expect the team to underperform this year. ******************************************************************************* Ruth Division - 1. Miami Mangos (Last Year: 78-84, 5th in division) HITTERS: Francisco Lindor is one of the best shortstops in the league, good for 30+ home runs and 20+ stolen bases. Gleyber Torres joins Lindor as the best double play combination in the majors, who could hit 40 home runs this year. Austin Meadows, Trey Mancini and Eddie Rosario could hit 100 home runs in the outfield, and JT Realmuto is the best hitting catcher in the majors. This team will hit lots of home runs and score lots of runs. PITCHERS: Lucas Giolito and Zack Wheeler may not make the all-star team, but should win plenty of games with run support. Jordan Lyles, Adam Wainwright and Caleb Smith round out a competitive rotation. The bullpen is solid, led by Hector Neris and Will Smith. OVERALL: Some fantastic hitting and capable pitching make the Mangos world series championship contenders. They are well on track to remain the only team in CFOD history to never have lost a playoff series. 2. California Coneheads (Last Year: 97-65, Ruth Division winner) HITTERS: Kyle Schwarber and Matt Olson should provide plenty of thump in the middle of the order, and Whit Merrifield, Jorge Polanco and Justin Turner should score plenty of runs as one of the league's better infields. Michael Brantley will defy father time to put in an all-star caliber season in the outfield. Run production is no problem here. PITCHERS: Charlie Morton and Mike Minor anchor the rotation and are joined by vets Cole Hamels and James Paxton for a playoff-ready rotation. Roberto Osuna and Frankie Montas lead a solid bullpen. The team's ERA should be the best in the division. OVERALL: California will likely push Miami all season long for the Ruth division title, and the battle may not be decided until the playoffs. 3. Olympia Rainiers (Last Year: 85-77, 3rd in division) HITTERS: Juan Soto and Javier Baez are two of the league's better young stars, good for 30 home runs and decent batting averages. Yordan Alvarez joins the team as another quality young bat. Gio Urshela, Kolten Wong and Carlos Santana help guarantee lots of run production from the infield. Corey Seager still needs to get healthier but when he plays he's pretty good. PITCHERS: Zach Davies, staff ace? The pitching staff is a little weak and will struggle to go toe-to-toe with other staff aces. The bullpen is very deep, led by Jordan Hicks. If the Rainiers can get to the 5th inning with a lead, the bullpen should be able to keep it. OVERALL: A few years emerged from a total rebuild, Olympia has enough talent to make a run at the playoffs. 4. Paxtang Pitbulls (Last Year: 87-75, 2nd in division) HITTERS: Xander Bogaerts keeps improving year after year and will contend for an all-star spot at shortstop. Joc Pederson and Hunter Renfroe are a reliable source of power if at the expense of batting average. Ramon Laureano adds some pop in the outfield, and Jose Ramirez continues to be a reliable bat at the hot corner. PITCHERS: Dakota Hudson is ready to go against any #1 starter in the league. Max Fried and Trevor Richards are playoff ready starters, but a lot of batting practice pitchers will need to fill in through the regular season. Brad Hand is the marquee name in the bullpen, but there are plenty of reliever options to choose from for 7th+ inning duties. OVERALL: Paxtang has enough talent to contend for a playoff spot, where they wind up will be determined after 162 games. 5. Topeka Moosedogs (Last Year: 67-95, 6th in division) HITTERS: Marcell Ozuna and Christian Walker are two 30 home run threats, but after that power and walks will be hard to come by in Topeka this year. Rookie Fernando Tatis Jr. brings a lot of promise for the future. PITCHERS: Clayton Kershaw still gets it done at age 31, and Hyun-Jin Ryu elevates his game to be a fellow ace. Zack Elfin, Chase Anderson and Steven Matz round out a capable rotation. Josh Hader is among the best closers in the game, and Topeka has plenty of bullpen options for when the 8th inning rolls around. OVERALL: Some decent pitching, but a lack of consistent quality hitting may hinder Topeka's shot at a winning season. 6. San Diego Termites (Last Year: 86-76, 3rd in division) HITTERS: Ronald Acuna adds more dimensions to his game every year, this year being a potential 40/40 threat. Yulieski Gurriel is good for 30+ home runs in the infield. After infielder Jean Segura and 30+ home run threat Renato Nunez, full time hitting options start to get thin. PITCHERS: Mike Fiers, Wade Miley and Miles Mikolas should provide some solid if not spectacular innings in the rotation. Steve Cishek and Nick Wittgren provide some decent options in the bullpen, but the pitching staff could use a few more quality arms to properly compete. OVERALL: Ronald Acuna will be exciting to watch, but 2019 may be a rebuilding year in San Diego. ******************************************************************************* Young Division - 1. Seattle Moshers (Last Year: 86-76, T-2nd in division) HITTERS: Nolan Arenado, Nelson Cruz and Jorge Soler love the long ball and should hit 40+ each. Rookie Eloy Jimenez will add 30+. Shortstop Kevin Newman should score plenty of runs at the top of the lineup, and Seattle has plenty of decent part time players to score plenty of runs. PITCHERS: A rotation of Trevor Bauer, Dallas Keuchel, Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester would have been world class 2-3 years ago, but in 2019 they are a little mediocre. Seattle will be heavily dependent on their bullpen, which is among the best in the league. Reyes Moronta, Sam Dyson, Michael Lorenzen and others give the Moshers plenty of options in the late innings (and even the mid-innings with this rotation). OVERALL: A poor starting rotation, but a strong offense, strong bullpen and weak competition make Seattle the early season division favorites. 2. Rocklin Thunder (Last Year: 92-70, Young Division winner, 2018 CFOD Champ) HITTERS: Ketel Marte breaks out as a star, hitting for average and power. Bryce Harper finally gets healthy again and is good for 30+ home runs and triple digit RBIs. Aaron Judge will struggle with injuries but is a quality bat when he can get in the lineup. Omar Narvaez adds walks from the catcher position. PITCHERS: Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler gives the Thunder a dynamic duo in the rotation, and both could see plenty of wins. Jose Berrios, Noah Syndergaard and Chris Sale round out one of the strong rotations in the league (while their elbows hold up). Aaron Bummer and Scott Oberg head up the bullpen, but Rocklin may need to trade for a few more arms should they find themselves in playoff contention. OVERALL: Some nice hitters, some great starters, only after 162 games will the Thunder's final fortunes be revealed. 3. Brookfield Brouhaha (Last Year: 77-85, 4th in division) HITTERS: Michael Conforto is in line to have a nice season at the plate, hitting 30+ home runs with lots of RBIs. Wilson Ramos should have an above average season at the catcher position. The rest of the lineup gets their power from doubles and platooning. PITCHERS: Kyle Hendricks and Lance Lynn start the upper half of the rotation, and Brad Keller, Tanner Roark and Merrill Kelly give Brookfield consistency in their starts. After Yusmeiro Petit, the bullpen starts to get a little thin. OVERALL: A few good players, Brookfield may need to trade for a few more to contend this year. 4. Tualatin Pioneers (Last Year: 68-94, 5th in division) HITTERS: It may be a stretch for anyone to hit 30 home runs on this team, but a majority of the lineup should be able to hit 30 doubles. Tommy Pham gets a few walks and steals a few bases, but it's doubtful any of Tualatin's hitters make the all-star team this year. PITCHERS: Marcus Stroman bounces back to have a fine year in the rotation, and Julio Teheran is a quality 2nd starter. Felipe Vazquez and Liam Hendricks give the Pioneers two lights out options at closer. All in all the pitching should be able to keep the score low. OVERALL: The pitching is good, but the hitting is lacking, so the Pioneers may be in for an up and down season. 5. San Francisco Piazza's (Last Year; 54-108, 6th in division) HITTERS: Jose Abreu and Rhys Hoskins are both power threats, but both play 1B so they won't get the full time services of both this year. Nick Castellanos, Yoan Moncada and Mark Canha should help the offense score some runs. There's a fair amount of zip in this lineup. PITCHERS: Justin Verlander continues to defy father time at 36 years old, and can match up with anyone in the league as staff ace. After that, the rotation falls apart pretty quickly. Raisel Iglesias is a marquee name in the bullpen, but what leads they have in the late innings will be hard to defend. OVERALL: The offense will score lots of runs, but the pitching staff will likely give up even more. At least the Piazza's will have their 1st round pick next year! 6. Park City Climbers (Last Year: 86-76, T-2nd in division) HITTERS: Charlie Blackmon and Kris Bryant are still hitting stars, going for average and power. Acquisition Paul Goldschmidt will join them in the 30 homer club. Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Adalberto Mondesi are next-generation players who will only get better in the future. PITCHERS: Oof. The pitching staff is full of has-beens, never-was and reclamation projects. Will likely have the highest ERA in the league. OVERALL: Some decent hitters and promising stars, but the terrible pitching will have Park City looking at the 95-loss club this year.