2021 CFOD SEASON PREVIEW "Your Mileage May Vary!" Predicted Playoff Teams: Mantle Division - Arlington Arthropods Koufax Division - Cincinnati Rock Ruth Division - California Coneheads Young Division - Park City Climbers MK Conference Wildcard - Mechan Syndicate RY Conference Wildcard - Miami Mangos #1 League Wildcard - San Mateo Thunder #2 League Wildcard - Miami Mangos WORLD SERIES PREDICTION - Climbers over Arthropods ***************************************************************************************** Mantle Division - 1. Arlington Arthropods (Last Year: 83-79, 2nd in Division, Predicted: 1st) Most wins in a season: 101, 1992 Least wins in a season: 53, 2014 2021 HITTERS: Shohei Ohtani will finally put it all together, hitting for power, speed with a good eye for walks. JD Martinez bounces back from a lackluster 2020 to hit for power, and Brandon Crawford does it at the plate and in the field. Mike Zunino, Jesus Aguilar and Luis Urias also add to one of the more potent lineups. And don't forget youngster Randy Arozarena. All this with injury-shortened seasons from Mike Trout and Alex Bregman. 2021 PITCHERS: Ohtani also brings it to the mound, joined by Kevin Gausman, Frankie Montas and Luis Garcia to round out one of the best starting rotations in the league. The bullpen is not especially deep, but the players they do have (Dominic Leone and Andrew Chafin among others) will get it done. 2021 OVERALL: Some great hitting, some great pitching, with a great Shohei Ohtani makes the Arthropods title contenders. 2. Mechan Syndicate (Last Year: 79-83, 3rd in Division, Predicted: 3rd) Most wins in a season: 109, 2015 Least wins in a season: 47, 2006 2021 HITTERS: Lots of thump in this lineup, with Brandon Lowe, Giancarlo Stanton, Framil Reyes, Miguel Sano and Eduardo Escobar are all capable of hitting 30+. Mookie Betts will battle injuries this year, but when he's in the lineup he's still among the best. Buster Posey has his last hurrah at catcher and will have a fine final season. 2021 PITCHERS: Carlos Rodon and Corbin Burnes can go toe to toe with any pitcher in the league, and Michael Pineda and Alex Wood round out a very capable rotation. Chad Green and Chasen Shreve lead a no-name bullpen who should be above average. 2021 OVERALL: A potent lineup and some decent pitching will make the Syndicate contenders for the playoffs this year - and possibly the division title! 3. Port Huron Hubris (Last Year: 75-87, 4th in Division, Predicted: 5th) Most wins in a season: 96, 1997 Least wins in a season: 55, 1994 2021 HITTERS: Marcus Semien has a career year at just the right time and could contend for MVP honors. Joey Gallo, Eugenio Suarez and Adam Duvall can generate plenty of power but their low batting average will dampen their effectiveness. Anthony Rizzo and Jonathan Schoop will add to the lineup. 2021 PITCHERS: Charlie Morton, John Means and Tyler Mahle form a solid trio of starters who should see plenty of win opportunities. Drew Steckenrider and Andrew Kittredge lead one of the better and deeper bullpens in the league. 2021 OVERALL: Port Huron will be loads of fun to watch, batting average or not and should win many more games than they lose. 4. San Francisco Organization (Last Year: 91-71, Mantle Division Winner, 2020 CFOD Champs, Predicted: 2nd) Most wins in a season: 98, 2009 Least wins in a season: 57, 1991 2021 HITTERS: The Pete Alonso era has officially ended, and in his place is .. Brandon Belt? Belt should be good for 30 home runs in an injury filled season. Between the injuries and platooning the Organization may be hard pressed to have anyone break 500 PA this year. 2021 PITCHERS: Nathan Eovaldi and Rich Hill are solid innings eaters, but Shane Bieber will battle injuries this year, and the other starters will struggle to keep the score down. When they do have the lead Tyler Rogers and Giovanny Gallegos should lock the game down in the last few innings. 2021 OVERALL: Championships are forever - and 2021 may be more of a reloading year than a rebuilding one. 5. Angry Candy (Last Year: 56-106, 5th in Division, Predicted: 4th) Most wins in a season: 122, 2007 Least wins in a season: 56, 2020 2021 HITTERS: Max Muncy and Josh Bell are the lone bright stars of this hitting lineup. The rest will struggle to generate runs. 2021 PITCHERS: Anthony DeSclafani could man the rotation of any team in the league, and Jordan Montomgery is a solid innings eater, but the rest of the rotation will struggle to win games - especially with their run support. Ryan Pressly, Aroldis Chapman and Brad Hand do give the bullpen some name brand recognition. 2021 OVERALL: Last year was pretty miserable, and 2021 may be more of the same as they continue their rebuild. 6. Fightin' Oglethorpes of Georgia (Last Year: 45-117, 6th in Division, Predicted: 6th) Most wins in a season: 101, 2012 Least wins in a season: 45, 2020 2021 HITTERS: Pete Alonso joins the team this year for some thump in the middle, and Ozzie Albies and Tim Anderson continue to be one of the better double play combinations in the league. Bryan Reynolds and Brendan Rogers adds some thump to the lineup. #1 overall pick Wander Franco has a bright future in the league. 2021 PITCHERS: Kyle Gibson has a shot at finishing the year with a winning record in the rotation, but the rest of the starters will be horrendous. Richard Rodriguez and Garrett Crochet are their only decent relievers, the rest will give up plenty of runs. 2021 OVERALL: Some decent hitting, but it won't be enough to win with one of the league's worst pitching staffs. Still, with bounce back seasons from Cody Bellinger and Stephen Strasburg the Fightin' Oglethorpes could see themselves at the top of the division in 2022. ***************************************************************************************** Koufax Division - 1. Cincinnati Rock (Last Year: 116-46, Koufax Division Winner, Predicted: 2nd) Most wins in a season: 116, 2020 Least wins in a season: 52, 2012 2021 HITTERS: Rafael Devers, Kyle Tucker and Jared Walsh should give the Rock lots of hitting in the lineup. Starling Marte is one of the league's elite speedsters, and can nab plenty of walks at the top of the lineup. Jean Segura and Jesse Winker will also help the Rock be above average in the runs department. 2021 PITCHERS: Gerrit Cole, Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff and Eric Lauer give the Rock one of the best playoff ready rotations in the league. Blake Treinen leads a capable bullpen. 2021 OVERALL: An intimidating starting rotation and some good hitters make the Rock favorites to repeat as Koufax Division champs. 2. Trisolaris Droplets (Last Year: 98-64, 3rd in Division, Predicted: 4th) Most wins in a season: 100, 2000 Least wins in a season: 42, 2005 2021 HITTERS: Rhys Hoskins, Matt Chapman, Ian Happ and Trevor Story can launch the long ball, but low batting and on base averages will make generating a lot of runs a struggle. 2021 PITCHERS: Pablo Lopez and Kwang Hyun Kim will be solid starters if they make the playoffs, but will be part time pitchers during the regular season, and the innings eaters at the tail end of the rotation will be thoroughly mediocre. They hope to make up for it with a strong bullpen, led by the likes of Lou Trivino and Dylan Floro. 2021 OVERALL: The hitters won't remind anyone of Tony Gwynn, and the pitching will have trouble keeping pace with the Rock, but they should at least make things interesting. 3. Somerville Sluggers (Last Year: 110-52, 2nd in Division, Predicted: 3rd) Most wins in a season: 110, 2020 Least wins in a season: 59, 2001 2021 HITTERS: Manny Machado and Carlos Correa give the Sluggers plenty of oomph in the infield, and Teoscar Hernandez and Enrique Hernandez provide some decent hitting in the outfield. The rest of the lineup is .. ok. 2021 PITCHERS: Ian Anderson and Aaron Civale are decent enough starters, but it gets pretty bad pretty fast for the rest of the rotation. Lots of part timers in the bullpen, no Somerville reliever is in danger of making the all-star game this year. 2021 OVERALL: The decent bats they have will need to give it their all to keep ahead of the relatively thin pitching this year. 4. Chandler Killers (Last Year: 84-78, 5th in Division, Predicted: 5th) Most wins in a season: 105, 1997 Least wins in a season: 59, 2004 2021 HITTERS: Joey Votto defies father time again this year to anchor the lineup and is an all-star contender. But the rest of the lineup will struggle to manufacture runs. 2021 PITCHERS: Robbie Ray could contend for a Cy Young award this year, but the rest of the starting rotation will struggle. The Killers do possible feature the most star studded bullpen in the league, lead by Emmanuel Clase, Scott Barlow, Will Smith and Devin Williams. 2021 OVERALL: Votto continues to be great, and the bullpen is fantastic, but it will be a challenge to overcome the rest of the lineup and rotation. 5. Lakeview Zeros (Last Year: 85-77, 4th in Division, Predicted: 1st) Most wins in a season: 113, 2010 Least wins in a season: 46, 1995 2021 HITTERS: Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner are two of the best at their position and could make the all-CFOD team. After Adam Frazier and an injured Christian Yelich, the rest of the lineup will likely do poorly. 2021 PITCHERS: Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt are awesome starters, and the Zeros have enough part time starters to trot out a winner nearly every day. But that will come at the expense of the bullpen, which is pretty much non-existent. 2021 OVERALL: Two great hitters, two great starters, but lots of filler will make 2021 a challenging year in the wins department. 6. Pig's Eye Pirates (Last Year: 36-126, 6th in Division, Predicted: 6th) Most wins in a season: 112, 2015 Least wins in a season: 36, 2020 2021 HITTERS: Jorge Polanco should have a bright year in the infield, hitting for power with a decent batting average. And that's about it, with the rest of the lineup filled with developing players and contractually obligated lineup fillers. 2021 PITCHERS: Lots of prospects and future bounce back candidates, but no one on the staff is going to have a good 2021. 2021 OVERALL: Year #2 of rebuilding, when the Pirates finally click they should contend again. ***************************************************************************************** Ruth Division - 1. California Coneheads (Last Year: 42-120, 6th in Division, Predicted: 6th) Most wins in a season: 114, 1996 Least wins in a season: 42, 2020 2021 HITTERS: Matt Olson should give California one of their best years by a first baseman since the Paul Goldschmidt era, and Tyler O'Neill, Kyle Schwarber, Justin Turner and Andrew McCutchen gives the Coneheads a lot of hitting. Jonathan India should get on base and score a lot of runs with this lineup. Gary Sanchez and Danny Jansen should form a 30+ home run platoon at catcher. 2021 PITCHERS: Trevor Rogers and controversial 1st round pick Trevor Bauer gives the Conehead 2 playoff ready starters, and Casey Mize and Steven Matz will have plenty of chances to win games with their run support. Craig Kimbrel leads a solid bullpen. 2021 OVERALL: Some really good hitting and consistently good pitching should see the Coneheads rise to Ruth Division glory again. 2. Miami Mangos (Last Year: 88-74, 3rd in Division, Predicted: 5th) Most wins in a season: 99, 2016 Least wins in a season: 43, 1996 2021 HITTERS: Ryan Mountcastle, Paul Goldschmidt, young shortstop Bo Bichette and Austin Meadows gives the Mangos plenty of scoring opportunities. Veteran Josh Donaldson, Tyler Naquin and catcher JT Realmuto should help make Miami one of the better scoring teams in the league. 2021 PITCHERS: Zack Wheeler, father time-defying Adam Wainwright, Lucas Giolito and Adrian Houser help form one of the top starting rotations in the league. Paul Sewald leads a deep and competent bullpen. 2021 OVERALL: Some good hitting and some really good pitching will make the Mangos playoff contenders this year. 3. Olympia Rainiers (Last Year: 91-71, 2nd in Division, Predicted: 4th) Most wins in a season: 100, 1994 Least wins in a season: 22, 2016 2021 HITTERS: Yordan Alvarez, potential MVP candidate Juan Soto and CJ Cron provide power and batting average at the traditional positions. Corey Seager provides elite hitting when he's not injured, and Kolten Wong provides some hitting and excellent defense in the infield. 2021 PITCHERS: Julio Urias and Joe Musgrove are solid top of the rotation starters who will be asked to shoulder most of the load, as the rest of the rotation is mediocre. Jake McGee turns back father time to anchor a capable bullpen. 2021 OVERALL: The Rainiers have some solid pieces that should translate to a winning season, but may need to acquire a few bats and arms this season to rise higher in the standings. 4. Dallas SuperSquad (Last Year: 109-53, Ruth Division Winner, Predicted: 2nd) Most wins in a season: 110, 1996 Least wins in a season: 50, 1995 2021 HITTERS: The SuperSquad may have the league's best infield, with a resurgent Jose Altuve, Jose Ramirez and Xander Bogaerts hitting for power and average. Lourdes Gurriel Jr, Trey Mancini, Wilson Contreras and Jose Soler add some pop to the lineup. 2021 PITCHERS: Max Fried should win a lot of games with the run support he'll get, but the rest of the rotation may struggle to keep up with the rest of the division. Kenley Jansen leads a capable bullpen. 2021 OVERALL: The Ruth division will be very competitive this year. The SuperSquad would likely finish in the top half of most other divisions but will find doing so in the Ruth division tough this year. 5. Topeka MooseDogs (Last Year: 86-76, T-4th in Division, Predicted: 3rd) Most wins in a season: 93, 2009, 2012 Least wins in a season: 46, 1996 2021 HITTERS: Fernando Tatis Jr is one of the most exciting young players this year, but injury concerns may make him this generation's Eric Davis. Austin Riley and Mitch Haniger bring the thunder, and Ty France hits for average and can take a walk. 2021 PITCHERS: Marcus Stroman was an effective pickup in the draft and is an instance ace. Longtime ace Clayton Kershaw battles injuries but is still playoff ready. The rest of the rotation will likely be replacement level. Josh Hader is easily their best reliever on the team, but the rest of the bullpen may struggle to maintain the late inning leads. 2021 OVERALL: Fernando Tatis Jr and Josh Hader are locks for the all-star team, but the overall pitching may make it hard to contend this year. 6. Slam Diego Termites (Last Year: 86-76, T-4th in Division, Predicted: 1st) Most wins in a season: 105, 1998 Least wins in a season: 51, 1999 2021 HITTERS: Ronald Acuna Jr is an all-star level player .. when he can make it on the field. Whit Merrified can steal a lot of bases .. when he can make it to first base. Adolis Garcia can hit some home runs .. when he can make contact with the ball. 2021 PITCHERS: Jacob DeGrom is a Cy level pitcher .. when he is healthy. The rest of the staff will struggle. 2021 OVERALL: Too many qualifiers for this year's squad to contend. Looks to be a rebuilding year. ***************************************************************************************** Young Division - 1. Park City Climbers (Last Year: 94-68, Young Division Winner, Predicted: 3rd) Most wins in a season: 103, 2013 Least wins in a season: 45, 2019 2021 HITTERS: Vladimir Guerrero Jr will emerge as an MVP candidate in the middle of the lineup, and Cedric Mullins is a legit 30-30 player. Jake Cronenworth, Kris Bryant and catcher Will Smith will help Park City score some runs. Francisco Lindor may struggle at the plate this year, but will anchor the defense. 2021 PITCHERS: Lance McCullers is their effective ace, and Sean Manea can effectively eat some innings. Ranger Suarez is Park City's secret weapon in the playoffs, instantly becoming one of the best playoff starters in the league. Mark Melancon and Kendall Gravemen lead one of the best bullpens in the majors. 2021 OVERALL: Some nice hitting, and some playoff-ready pitching make the Climbers one of the teams to watch as title contenders this year. 2. San Mateo Thunder (Last Year: 58-104, 6th in Division, Predicted: 6th) Most wins in a season: 118, 2006 Least wins in a season: 37, 2005 2021 HITTERS: Both Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge are (reasonably) healthy this year, and will help drive a high powered offence. Dansby Swanson adds some power at shortstop, and Ketel Marte will hit for average and power (when he is healthy). Elias Diaz and Bobby Dalbec are also good sources of power. 2021 PITCHERS: Walker Buehler, Logan Webb, Wade Miley and Jose Berrios form the best starting rotation in the division. They'll need to pitch a lot of innings, as the bullpen is virtually non-existent. 2021 OVERALL: Some great hitting and some great starting pitching, the Thunder will likely need to trade for a bullpen this season to threaten for the division title. 3. Brookfield Brouhaha (Last Year: 86-76, 4th in Division, Predicted: 2nd) Most wins in a season: 105, 2019 Least wins in a season: 60, 2009 2021 HITTERS: A little weak this year, the Brouhaha hope to extract some runs from the likes of Andrew Benintendi and Austin Hayes. Nicky Lopez can hit for power, get on base and swipe a few bases as an above average table setter. 2021 PITCHERS: Where the team shines. Lance Lynn and Framber Valdez are formidable starters, and Chris Flexen and Sonny Gray are capable back end of the rotation starters. Gregory Soto leads a bullpen which is .. OK. 2021 OVERALL: Some solid starting pitching on the team, Brookfield will need to have career years from their hitters to have a strong season. 4. Seattle Moshers (Last Year: 93-69, 2nd in Division, Predicted: 4th) Most wins in a season: 103, 1994 Least wins in a season: 55, 2010 2021 HITTERS: The hitting should be fun this year, with Nelson Cruz, Hunter Renfroe and Nolan Arenado good for 30 dingers. Chris Taylor, Josh Harrison and AJ Pollock will add to the offense. This team should be able to score some runs. 2021 PITCHERS: Starting pitching this team does not have, with a slumping Marco Gonzalez being the defacto ace. The bullpen is fairly solid with Jordan Romano leading the way. 2021 OVERALL: Some nice hitting, but the lack of starting pitching will likely keep Seattle in the bottom half of the division. 5. San Francisco Piazza's (Last Year: 92-70, 3rd in Division, Predicted: 1st) Most wins in a season: 100, 1995 Least wins in a season: 47, 2015 2021 HITTERS: Salvador Perez really bounces back from injury to potentially hit 50 home runs as a catcher. Nick Castellanos and Jose Abreu can hit the dinger, and Yoan Moncada has an eye for getting on base. The problem with the Piazza's lineup is that half of the players are pretty good, but the rest are pretty bad, leading to a stalled offense. 2021 PITCHERS: Cal Quantill and Sandy Alcantara are solid starters, and other than a part time Corey Kluber the rest of the starters will struggle to contain runs. Raisel Iglesias and Ian Kennedy are solid relievers, but the rest of the bullpen is thin. 2021 OVERALL: San Francisco made the world series last year, and after that lofty achievement comes the bill. 6. Tualatin Pioneers (Last Year: 61-101, 5th in Division, Predicted: 5th) Most wins in a season: 95, 1991 Least wins in a season: 51, 2009 2021 HITTERS: Javier Baez, Kyle Seager and Avasail Garcia should make the 30 home run club, but nobody on the team knows how to take a walk, so Tualatin will likely see a lot of solo home runs. Because of that the offense will likely stall. 2021 PITCHERS: Alek Manoah would be a good playoff time starter, as would Shane McClanahan, but there's not a lot of depth to the starting rotation. Liam Hendricks and Alex Reyes leads a strong bullpen. 2021 OVERALL: Great bullpen, but lack of plate discipline and a thin starting rotation will make for a tough season.