RF Juan Rivera
Rivera, 23, made massive strides in his second major league season, improving significantly over what was already an impressive rookie campaign. Rivera finished the 2041 season hitting .362/.446/.733 with 157 runs scored, 36 doubles, 10 triples, 58 home runs, 151 RBIs, 43 stolen bases in 60 attempts (.717 success rate), and a 9.7 WAR in 728 plate appearances. Rivera also posted strong defensive metrics in right field, recording 6 errors (.981 fielding percentage), 21 assists, a +6.3 zone rating, and a 1.042 defensive efficiency. Rivera's rookie campaign saw him finish hitting .292/.360/.578 with 105 runs scored, 41 doubles, 11 triples, 37 home runs, 103 RBIs, 40 stolen bases in 55 attempts (.727 success rate), and a 5.4 WAR in 689 plate appearances. Rivera's 2041 campaign puts him firmly in the Sawyer Silk discussion, finishing #1 in the BBA in home runs (tied with two others), slugging percentage, OPS, WAR, isolated power, OPS+, and weighted OBA, and in the top ten in various other categories.
DH António Martínez
Martínez, a highly touted rookie who entered the 2041 season as the BBA's #30 prospect, impressed in his maiden campaign finishing the season hitting .353/.413/.647 with 141 runs scored, 48 doubles, 6 triples, 45 home runs, 122 RBIs, 9 stolen bases in 16 attempts (.563 success rate), and a 5.3 WAR in 741 plate appearances. Martínez didn't play in the field on most days, but did get his first reps at first base against left-handers after poor play from the other first base alternatives on the roster, though his defensive metrics were not good at the position. His slash line for this past season was very similar to his final statistics from the previous season with Class-AAA Brooklyn (.340/.400/.665), evidencing his smooth transition from the minor leagues to the big leagues. The Gamblers' expect to experiment a bit more with Martínez at first base in spring training, hoping he can become a somewhat viable option at the position as the team has won in the past with a below average defensive first baseman -- if anything, Martínez certainly proved this year that he has the offensive production to justify playing the position.
LF Stewart Illingworth
Illingworth, 22, dazzled in his rookie season and emerged seemingly out of nowhere after a solid, albeit unspectacular 2040 season with Class-AAA Brooklyn. Illingworth joined the Gamblers as an international free agent in January 2036, working his way up through the minor leagues, and first came to prominence during the 2040 Winter League season where he hit .441/.525/.735 with 33 runs scored, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs, 25 RBIs, and a 1.8 WAR in 122 plate appearances. During the 2040 season for Class-AAA Brooklyn, Illingworth finished the season hitting .268/.347/.471 with 68 runs scored, 33 doubles, 2 triples, 19 home runs, 93 RBIs, and a 2.1 WAR in 531 plate appearances. The Gamblers fully expected a 25-home run capable player who can play a solid defensive left field, but instead got a player who hit an impressive .352/.425/.610 with 97 runs scored, 44 doubles, 1 triple, 33 home runs, 130 RBIs, 3 stolen bases in 4 attempts (.750 success rate), and a 5.1 WAR in 644 plate appearances. In left field, he was close to league average, recording 5 errors (.983 fielding percentage), 8 assists, a -2.6 zone rating, and a .983 defensive efficiency. The team has high hopes for Illingworth moving forward, though his late bloomer status is a bit of a cautionary tale after the Gamblers' experience with Stanley R. Perimutter, who impressed early before fading into obscurity.
