Warhounds 2054 Preview
Mar 20, 2020 23:34:20 GMT -5
Rich - Former GM, Commish_Ron, and 2 more like this
Post by Mac_Yankees GM on Mar 20, 2020 23:34:20 GMT -5
Carolina is looking to rebound from a disapointing 2053 season with a host of new players. Let's breakdown the Hounds.
Starting Pitching: The Warhounds are led by 2053 NL Cy-Young Award winner Walt Perez. Perez is a workhorse logging a league leading 230 innings last year, an amount that has many people questioning Mac Mckenzie's handling of the young star. For all of the good ratings and solid ERA & WHIP Jose Reyna has managed to lose 27 games over the last two seasons. Alfonso Valenzuela's ERA went up a full run last season, a turnaround to better form is expected this season. Jeremy McNeil pitched to a respectable 1.13 Whip last year, but more than 9 wins is needed to justify his $12m per year contract. Free Agent acquisition Carl Morris fills out the rotation, while former highly regarded prospect George Stollings provides depth in Triple A. This is a decent starting staff but lacks a solid number 2 to complement Walt Perez.
Bullpen: Jesus Hernandez is one of NL's most reliable relievers and was recently rewarded with a 3 year extension. Lefty Brandon Browning has dominating stuff and could emerge as an elite late inning option. Juan Melendez comes from Kansas City where is he has averaged 50 appearances a season over the last 4 years. Pedro Perez is another live arm with high quality stuff. Capable of starting Pedro is expected to fill a key role in the Carolina pen. The bullpen has been a strength of the Warhounds for several years now and 2054 appears to be no exception.
Catching: Injuries limited Lorenzo Hernandez to 97 games last year, but a return to health and a new 4 year contract has Carolina fan's expecting an All-Star season from their gold glove catcher.
1st Base: Sifaks Ben Hassi was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing lineup last season. He broke out with a career high 38 homeruns and a 4.6 WAR. At 26 years old there is still room for improvement and even better production.
2nd Base: Free Agent signee Tyler Covenay comes over from Cincinnati to provide a much needed left handed bat. I solid defender Covenay brings strong leadership to the team.
Shortstop: Ruben Blanca moves over from 2nd base. Last year in his first season in Carolina, the free agent pickup hit a solid .275 with 19 homeruns- the most he had hit since 2049. Blanca is not a star, but his decent bat and solid glove makes him a valuable member of the team.
3rd Base: Chris O'Slattery is another Free Agent signing making his debut in the Green and Black. O'Slattery is a versatile player capable of playing multiple positions and is considered a great clubhouse presence. Colm Jones will see plenty of playing time at all of the infield and outfield positions. Jones hit .337 with a 3.2 WAR in '53 and is expect to excel as a super-sub.
Left Field: Patrick McCain and Jon Hancock will platoon in leftfield to start the season. McCain has the ratings and minor league credentials to be a solid hitter, but is running out of chances to put it all together. Hancock's versatility and ability to hit lefty pitching gives him a important role to fill.
Center Field- Anthony Kessler is expected to open to season as the starting Centerfielder but he will be feeling the pressure from the farm system and will be on a short leash. Kessler had a solid rookie season in '53 but really declined in all categories last season.
Right Field: A trade with Arizona brought Kong Kuang to Carolina. Kuang logged a 4.3 WAR with a .378 obp and 25 stolen bases last season. He is expected to bring a combination of speed and power that has been missing from the Warhounds lineup. Free agent Lonnie Sickles was having a strong campaign in Colorado last year before a 9-month injury ended his season. He is expected to be ready in April and should be the first bat off the bench.
Designated Hitter: Yasuoka Muto came out of nowhere last season to win the NL Rookie of the Year award with a 33 homeruns in only 120 games. The 26 year old lefty hitter can capably play 1st base but most of his at bats will come as a DH.
Minor League Prospects: Miguel-Angel Andrade and Jimmy Green were both drafted #1 overall in their respective drafts. Andrade is the prize jewel of the farm system. The young centerfielder has progressed rapidly through the system and produced a solid .861 OPS in 70 games in Triple A last year and is expected to make his major league debut sometime this season- maybe as early as opening day. Green's homerun power has developed nicely and just needs more consistency to earn a full time spot in the lineup. Rightfielder Ed Duran was the #2 player taken overall in the year that I didn't go out and trade for the 1st pick. He is coming along fine and at only 21 will get a chance to prove himself at Double A this year.
Outlook: A very busy off season has left the Warhounds much improved. That being said I am going out on a limb and predicting the Warhounds will finish anywhere between 1st and 4th. Seriously the NL South has become very competitive . The Nationals have made a habit of going to the World Series. The Marlins were much improved last season and look even better this year. The Braves are solid with some great young talent. All that being said, I expect the Warhounds to be in the thick of the playoff chase to the end. Anything less will be another bitter disappointment.
Starting Pitching: The Warhounds are led by 2053 NL Cy-Young Award winner Walt Perez. Perez is a workhorse logging a league leading 230 innings last year, an amount that has many people questioning Mac Mckenzie's handling of the young star. For all of the good ratings and solid ERA & WHIP Jose Reyna has managed to lose 27 games over the last two seasons. Alfonso Valenzuela's ERA went up a full run last season, a turnaround to better form is expected this season. Jeremy McNeil pitched to a respectable 1.13 Whip last year, but more than 9 wins is needed to justify his $12m per year contract. Free Agent acquisition Carl Morris fills out the rotation, while former highly regarded prospect George Stollings provides depth in Triple A. This is a decent starting staff but lacks a solid number 2 to complement Walt Perez.
Bullpen: Jesus Hernandez is one of NL's most reliable relievers and was recently rewarded with a 3 year extension. Lefty Brandon Browning has dominating stuff and could emerge as an elite late inning option. Juan Melendez comes from Kansas City where is he has averaged 50 appearances a season over the last 4 years. Pedro Perez is another live arm with high quality stuff. Capable of starting Pedro is expected to fill a key role in the Carolina pen. The bullpen has been a strength of the Warhounds for several years now and 2054 appears to be no exception.
Catching: Injuries limited Lorenzo Hernandez to 97 games last year, but a return to health and a new 4 year contract has Carolina fan's expecting an All-Star season from their gold glove catcher.
1st Base: Sifaks Ben Hassi was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing lineup last season. He broke out with a career high 38 homeruns and a 4.6 WAR. At 26 years old there is still room for improvement and even better production.
2nd Base: Free Agent signee Tyler Covenay comes over from Cincinnati to provide a much needed left handed bat. I solid defender Covenay brings strong leadership to the team.
Shortstop: Ruben Blanca moves over from 2nd base. Last year in his first season in Carolina, the free agent pickup hit a solid .275 with 19 homeruns- the most he had hit since 2049. Blanca is not a star, but his decent bat and solid glove makes him a valuable member of the team.
3rd Base: Chris O'Slattery is another Free Agent signing making his debut in the Green and Black. O'Slattery is a versatile player capable of playing multiple positions and is considered a great clubhouse presence. Colm Jones will see plenty of playing time at all of the infield and outfield positions. Jones hit .337 with a 3.2 WAR in '53 and is expect to excel as a super-sub.
Left Field: Patrick McCain and Jon Hancock will platoon in leftfield to start the season. McCain has the ratings and minor league credentials to be a solid hitter, but is running out of chances to put it all together. Hancock's versatility and ability to hit lefty pitching gives him a important role to fill.
Center Field- Anthony Kessler is expected to open to season as the starting Centerfielder but he will be feeling the pressure from the farm system and will be on a short leash. Kessler had a solid rookie season in '53 but really declined in all categories last season.
Right Field: A trade with Arizona brought Kong Kuang to Carolina. Kuang logged a 4.3 WAR with a .378 obp and 25 stolen bases last season. He is expected to bring a combination of speed and power that has been missing from the Warhounds lineup. Free agent Lonnie Sickles was having a strong campaign in Colorado last year before a 9-month injury ended his season. He is expected to be ready in April and should be the first bat off the bench.
Designated Hitter: Yasuoka Muto came out of nowhere last season to win the NL Rookie of the Year award with a 33 homeruns in only 120 games. The 26 year old lefty hitter can capably play 1st base but most of his at bats will come as a DH.
Minor League Prospects: Miguel-Angel Andrade and Jimmy Green were both drafted #1 overall in their respective drafts. Andrade is the prize jewel of the farm system. The young centerfielder has progressed rapidly through the system and produced a solid .861 OPS in 70 games in Triple A last year and is expected to make his major league debut sometime this season- maybe as early as opening day. Green's homerun power has developed nicely and just needs more consistency to earn a full time spot in the lineup. Rightfielder Ed Duran was the #2 player taken overall in the year that I didn't go out and trade for the 1st pick. He is coming along fine and at only 21 will get a chance to prove himself at Double A this year.
Outlook: A very busy off season has left the Warhounds much improved. That being said I am going out on a limb and predicting the Warhounds will finish anywhere between 1st and 4th. Seriously the NL South has become very competitive . The Nationals have made a habit of going to the World Series. The Marlins were much improved last season and look even better this year. The Braves are solid with some great young talent. All that being said, I expect the Warhounds to be in the thick of the playoff chase to the end. Anything less will be another bitter disappointment.