2046 UMEBA Postion Rankings (Center Fielders)

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mragland
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2046 UMEBA Postion Rankings (Center Fielders)

Post by mragland » Sun Mar 28, 2021 3:12 pm

Gareth Hale
Baseball Research International Contributor

And now we examine the center fielders in the UMEBA. This is a talented group at the top, for sure, and perhaps the best position group from top to bottom in the Unified. All referenced 2046 stats are current as of 7/07.

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Joshua Koka (60/60), Manama

Manama drafted Koka out of Australia in the first round back in 2038. He's been playing for the Pearls since 2042. Koka is a great UMEBA player. Plus defense with tremendous hitting ability, Koka has a career OPS+ of 138. Now in his age twenty-six season, he's turning in his best performance yet, with an OPS+ of 157 and WAR of 3.3 in 87 appearances. The only downsides with Koka are his speed, which is nothing special, and lack of familiarity with any other position (one imagines a team will want to shift him to a corner outfield spot later in his career). Making $5.5M in an arbitration year, Koka may soon become unaffordable.

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Weaver Ripley (60/60), Mumbai

Ripley left the BBA after seven years in Phoenix, a spate of hand injuries in 2042 cutting his career there short. Kuwait City then picked him up. An all around solid player (with exceptional defense, power, and speed), Ripley helped fuel their 2043 championship run (5.0 WAR). Contraction brought him to Beirut, where he continued to play well, though not at quite the same level. In this past offseason, the Cedars traded Ripley to the Metro Stars for infield prospect Zenobius 'Zen' Kazantziakis. Ripley, now thirty, has rewarded Mumbai with a heck of a performance (133 OPS+ / 3.7 WAR). Also in an arb year, Ripley is making $5.4M.

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Jim Lorenzen (50/50), Jerusalem

Sometimes a prospect is just a commodity. This twenty-seven year-old Canadian was drafted by San Fernando in 2038 and traded a few months later to California, who flipped him a few months later to Huntsville. He would get a cup of coffee for Huntsville in 2039, appearing in two games. He wouldn't really catch on with Huntsville/Chicago, and Charm City would claim him in the Rule 5 draft, but he'd fare no better in Baltimore. Jerusalem signed Lorenzen to a free agent contract before the 2045 season. He received a modest UMEBA bump in '45 (OPS+ 78 / 3.2 WAR). But that was nothing like what he's doing now, in his age twenty-seven season (OPS+ 124 / 1.8 WAR). Unfortunately a hamstring injury has cut short his '46 season.

José 'Heartthrob' Leyva (50/50), Athens

Leyva can play anywhere in the outfield at a very high level, when healthy. This twenty-seven year-old Spaniard played six seasons for New Orleans, accumulating a 2.5 WAR. Prone to injury, and never really finding his place in the New Orleans lineup, he's never put in a full season of work. Athens picked Leyva up as a free agent this past winter after he was non-tendered by his BBA club. So far in '46, Leyva has taken advantage of the opportunity given to him to play full time in center (OPS+ 126 / WAR 2.8).

Wesley Johnson (50/50), Baghdad

Johnson was a third round pick in the 2042 draft, out of Australia. The Kings promoted him to the big club this year to become an everyday player. He's solid defensively, and still developing as a hitter. So far in '46, in his age twenty season, he's put up an OPS+ of 103 and a WAR of 1.6. A good enough defender to play in center field every day, he should be a UMEBA fixture for several more years.

Rafael Mullet (45/45), Bucharest

Bucharest drafted this twenty-three year-old Australian in the first round, back in 2040. He's unlikely to hit for a high average, but otherwise Mullet is a very good ball player. In two years playing at the big league level, he accumulated 8.3 WAR. Things are looking a little shakier in '46, though. His home run rate is down, and his walk rate is way down. So far this season, Mullet has posted a 101 OPS+ and 0.9 WAR.

Mike Martin (45/45), Riyadh

Martin washed out of the Lousiville organization last June, never rising above double-A in his six-year career. Jerusalem snapped him up a few weeks later. Riyadh grabbed him in the Rule 5 draft this past winter. A pretty good fielder with decent on-base skills, but little power, Martin looks to be making the most of what was shaping up to be his only shot at the bigs. While playing for the Crescents this year, the twenty-five year-old Martin has performed well (OPS+ 128 / WAR 1.2).

Jamie Angwin (45/55), Beirut

Angwin is a home-grown product for the Cedars, who drafted him last year in the second round. The twenty year-old Englishman is a decent fielder, but should develop into a very effective hitter in the Unified. He made a favorable impression in his brief time with the big league club last year. So far this season he's looked like a work in progress, as you might expect (OPS+ 93 / WAR 0.7).

Paul 'The Pearl' Wapshott (45/50), Tripoli

UMEBA's other Englishman in center field, Wapshott is another home-grown player, drafted by Tripoli last year. He spent part of this year in AAA Ndali, appearing in thirty-one games thus far for the Piranhas. Wapshott still developing offensively, and he is about as far from a 'three true outcomes' hitter as you can get. Just in his age twenty season, he has had decent production in '46 to date (OPS+ 92 / WAR 0.4). It should be interesting to see how this player develops in coming years.

Freddy Ayala (45/50), Cairo

Ayala has been drafted three times, but not once in the amateur draft. Ayala was signed by Seattle in 2035 to its international complex, drafted by Charlotte in the 2039 expansion draft, and drafted a second time by Edmonton in the Rule 5 draft of 2042. The Jackrabbits would release him and he would return to Charlotte, who had the pleasure of releasing him a few months later in January, '44. Manama signed him last June, but then Cairo drafted him in the UMEBA Rule 5 draft this past winter. Teams have thought enough of him to select him, but not enough of him to hold on to him. He's a tremendous outfielder who can play any position at a high level. He can run like the devil. Problem is Ayala hasn't proven that he has the ability to hit in the big leagues. So far in '46, he's earned a 63 OPS+ and a 0.8 WAR.
Morris Ragland
President, Baseball Ops, Beirut Cedars (8/25/46 - 10/23/47)
President, Baseball Ops, Valencia Stars (10/24/47 - present)
925-891 Lifetime Record
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