Hardball Stitches Reporter: S1 Teams

Jack Torrance - contributing reporter

My Hardball Stitches owners, faith followers, and everybody else here not sitting on a cushion! Let's dig into the teams of the AL North. This will be the first post of many as we lead up to the start of Season 1. This selection order for this division will be slicknick777, SenorPloppie, mcandrews, and then thebigdogs.

But before I start, let me preface this with - make sure you review the team before you make your selection. I could have easily missed something that might change your opinion of a team or player. For Arb info, we've make a blanket assumption of 3 ML years = Arb1, 4 = Arb2, 5 = Arb3. This is also one of the few times we'll use OAV when talking about players. If you select a team but realize you picked the wrong one, please let myself or Jordon know via discord. I will likely confirm that you are happy with your selection before giving the password to the next person.

They'll be choosing from:

TeamID: 7874 - AL Franchise 1

Draft pick #26
Average ML age: 29.2
Average ML OAV: 63.9
Salary: $31.8M

Does not include 9 abirritation players.

Players of interest:

93 oav, CF Vin Nunez - Arb3 - age 26

Should mash lefties and hold his own against righties. Won't throw many out from CF.

90 oav, LF Rubi Veras - Arb 3 - age 27

Very well could lead the league in BB and HR and be top 25 in SBs.
55 Health

87 oav, CF Tyreace Moore - $2.2M - age 26

AAA - Seems he may have been partying too hard, he got demoted to AAA but hopefully under new ownership, you'll get him back to the majors.

85 oav, LF Andy Barker - $55k - age 25

AAA - Big power and will steal a ton of bases for you (84 speed, 80 base run), and should walk a lot too. Seems ready for the promotion to the majors.

79 oav, SP Ned Gaillard - $54k - age 26

AAA - Has nothing left to prove in the minors and definitely ready for the majors. 86 control, 86/72 splits, 82 4-seam FB and 77 Forkball. And I'm not forking kidding you!

76 oav, CF Nate Hackman - $2.4M - age 25

AAA - I'm guessing he was out partying with fellow CF Tyreace Moore and they were both demoted together; though this one needs to be moved off CF, that glove is too heavy for him.

76 oav, SP Winston Wallace (R) - $6M - age 34

Could eat a lot of innings, big splits difference, Struggles against lefties

74 oav, RP JJ Palmer (L) - $5.6M - age 31

solid SuA reliever, K rate will be a little low.

74 oav, RP Ajax Esquerra (L) - Arb1 - age 28

a clear step behind Palmer

73 oav, SS Wayne Wolf - Arb1 - age 26

0 contact, 100 power, low splits. Glove falls short of league average SS.

73 oav, P Ryuu Yosida - Arb2 - age 28

I imagine many would use him in the rotation, others as a long reliever eating up innings in the back of the rotation.

71 oav, 2B Lee Barnhart - $55k - age 25

AAA - Won't be an all-star but he's serviceable.

65 oav, 1B/DH Bill Burnett - $328k - age 22

Only has 1 year Pro ball, should have plenty of growth to do and looks near ML ready - except for that vR.

63 oav, SS Horacio Moreno - $54k - age 23

AAA - Only has 1 pro season and just 23, have your scouts check him out first.

TeamID: 7875 - AL Franchise 5

Draft pick #14
Average ML age: 29.9
Average ML OAV: 66.2
Salary: $35.4M

Does not include 14 abirritation players.

Players of interest:

83 oav, CF Midre Baez - $6.8M - age 34

I'd assume he's a Silver Slugging CF, though watch out for that health.

79 oav, 3B JP Caballero - Arb1 - age 27

Below average contact, but still handles lefties and righties well.

78 oav, SP Everth Urena - $328k - age 26

Great control and an 85 rated Sinker, but a big different in his splits.

77 oav, 2B Tim Olsen - $2.4M - age 29

Above average power, slightly below everywhere else; except speed - he's slower than your grandma.

76 oav, SP Pepper Purcey - $6M - age 33

His control and P1 should help the slightly below average splits. Should get quite a few innings out of him too.

74 oav, 3B Enny Guerrero - $5.6M - age 32

slightly below league average across the board, but he's durable.

70 oav, LF Randy Uribe - $54k - age 21

AAA - likely has a small amount of growth left, and makes great contact with big power; but those splits are still disappointing.

70 oav, SP Javier Ynoa - $54k - age 21

AAA - Two great pitches but struggles with control and vR.

68 oav, SS Omar Vargas - $54k - age 20

AAA - 1 Pro year, get your scouts on this guy.

67 oav, SP Matty Figureoa - $38k - age 20

AA - 1 Pro year, another guy to get your scouts on. Already has an ML ready Sinker.

66 oav, 3B Leon Stokes - $38k - age 20

AA - 2 Pro year, adds power and handles lefties well. We'll see how he develops against righties and making contact.

61 oav, SP Jackson Stoffel - $38k - age 19

AA - 1 Pro year, keep an eye on this guy.

60 oav, RP Tim Thomson - $38k - age 21

AA - 1 Pro year, another guy to keep an eye on. Would have the best Sinker/Curveball combo in the ML if he was promoted today. 89/90.

62 oav, 3B Horace Krizan - $27k - age 21

A+ - 1 Pro year, with some development this guy could be good.

TeamID: 7876 - AL Franchise 9

Draft pick #2
Average ML age: 32.6
Average ML OAV: 58.5
Salary: $45.2M

Does not include 6 abirritation players.

Players of interest:

79 oav, SP Gregory James - $55k, age 24

AAA - Ready for that promotion to the ML. His 4-seam rates as an 87 with 89 velocity, and his Slider is an 84, with his third pitch - a Curveball still rated as a 70. Fantastic control, and 81/71 splits. Plus for being a lefty.

74 oav, SS Alex Ortiz - $328k - age 23

2 Pro year, will be his ML debut though likely needs to be shifted off SS; however he loses the value of his bat doing so.

73 oav, SP Kevin Martin - Arb3 - age 30

He's Arb3 as a 30 yr old, do you need to know more?

72 oav, RF Brian Wang - $54k - age 22

Solid contact and speed, might over extend on the base path and struggles against rightes.

65 oav, CF Geraldo Rivera - $54k - 24

AAA - 2 Pro years, looks solid to stay in CF with plus speed. wish the abilities at the plate were better.

64 oav, C Eduardo Rodriguez - $38k - age 25

AA - 1 Pro year, should project to a plus power hitter with a solid eye

TeamID: 7877 - AL Franchise 13

Draft pick #32
Average ML age: 30.6
Average ML OAV: 66.8
Salary: $69.6M

Does not include 6 abirritation players.

Players of interest:

91 oav, CF Juan Mota - $9.8M - age 28

A power hitting CF who will likely compete with division rival Midre Baez for the AL Silver Slugger CF award.

87 oav, LF Edgar Nunez - $8.8M - age 32

WOW! 93, 93, 93/68, 87 with 80 speed and 77 running.

87 oav, LF Deven Bickerton - $2.2M - age 27

Stick Nunez the lesser defender at 1B and play Bickerton at LF. This team is looking stacked!

86 oav, SS David Horton - $328k - age 25

With the bat you let his slight sub-average defense slide. Oh and you let him lead off with that 99 speed.

81 oav, SP Hideki Lim - $7.3M - age 29

Offers quality pitches: 72/84/73/73 with near pin point control, not to mention 91 velo! And he's not even the default SP1.

77 oav, CF Eugenio Flores - $5.4M - age 34

Does this guy become a Gold Glove COF with Mota manning CF?

76 oav, P Jin-Chi Takada - $6M - age 31

P1: 80. P2: 80 with 97 control. He won't last many pitches though, so he's gotta be efficient.

76 oav, 2B Brian Drake - $6M - age 31

The abilities start to dip here but come on, this guy behind all those others bats and he'll still produce.

72 oav, RP Ramon Wang - Arb1 - age 29

You know what they say, Two Wangs don't make a Right. Ramon is a strikeout artist for late in the game. Keeps the ball on the ground too.

I'm tossing in the towel - not even looking at their minor league players, for our sake hopefully they don't have any.

Okay so I did a quick peak and found another power hitting CF in Jarrod Baldoquin. He's a 74 with 1 Pro Year.

There it is folks, there is your AL North. Slick is on the clock!

S1 Teams - AL North