Boardwalk Empire - 2046.5 - Hitting Standouts

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Boardwalk Empire - 2046.5 - Hitting Standouts

Post by Joshua Biddle » Sun May 02, 2021 11:48 am

2046 Atlantic City Gamblers - Hitting Standouts

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Left Fielder Juan Rivera

Rivera, 28, continued to post stellar numbers for the Gamblers' offense in the first year of the lucrative six-year, $162 million contract extension he signed. The former first round (11th overall) draft pick of the Gamblers in the 2038 BBA Amateur Draft finished the 2046 season hitting .316/.389/.611 with 109 runs scored, 24 doubles, 9 triples, 45 home runs, 113 RBIs, 24 stolen bases in 35 attempts (.686 success rate), and an 8.1 WAR in 681 plate appearances. In addition, to his offensive production, Rivera continues to provide analytically pleasing defensive performance in left field, recording 4 errors (.988 fielding percentage), a +10.2 zone rating, and a 1.047 defensive efficiency. The five-time All-Star, four-time Charles Puckett Golden Bat Award winner (1 LF, 2 CF, 1 RF), two-time JL Yogi Zimmer Diamond Glove Award winner (LF), and two-time JL Sawyer Silk Silver Slugger Trophy winner continues to be the key cog in the Gamblers' lineup, a reliable and productive two-way player that has created buzz and exposure for the Gamblers' organization, and significant jersey sales. Though durability had been a bit of a concern following 132 games played in 2043 and 141 games played in 2044, Rivera has eased those concerns with 159 games played in 2045 and 158 games played in 2046.

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Right Fielder / Designated Hitter José Valentín

Valentín, 26, was a surprise contributor for the Gamblers during the 2046 season, getting the opportunity and delivering when starting right fielder José Romero went down with an abdominal strain that limited him to 103 games. The 4th round (127th overall) draft pick by the Gamblers in the 2038 BBA Amateur Draft finished the 2046 season hitting .280/.349/.499 with 62 runs scored, 16 doubles, 6 triples, 17 home runs, 55 RBIs, 17 stolen bases in 23 attempts (.739 success rate), and a 2.0 WAR in 401 plate appearances. Defensively, Valentín was solid albeit unspectacular, recording 0 errors (1.000 success rate), a -1.1 zone rating, and a .997 defensive efficiency in 311 innings. Valentín's production came as a pleasant surprise after being handed the starting right field gig in 2043 and playing so poorly he was demoted back to Class-AAA Brooklyn; Valentín finished the 2043 season with Atlantic City hitting .218/.293/.381 with 20 runs scored, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 24 RBIs, 5 stolen bases in 9 attempts (.556 success rate), and a 0.0 WAR in 167 plate appearances. Solid performances with Class-AAA Brooklyn in 2044 (.252/.348/.457, 24 HR, 80 RBI in 608 PAs) and 2045 (.272/.348/.470, 23 HR, 72 RBI, 594 PAs) earned a roster spot with the Gamblers for the 2046, and he was able to take advantage of the opportunity given. Depending on how things shake out in the offseason with impending Atlantic City free agent outfielder Stewart Illingworth, it's possible that Valentín will factor into the Gamblers' 2047 plans as a starter.

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Center Fielder Cinema Jones

Jones, 23, continued his third consecutive season of offensive improvement as he looks to become a long-term fixture for the Gamblers. The 1st round (5th overall) pick of the Gamblers in the 2041 BBA Amateur Draft finished the 2046 season hitting .288/.338/.500 with 49 doubles, 4 triples, 27 home runs, 74 RBIs, 28 stolen bases in 42 attempts (.667 success rate), and a 3.1 WAR in 707 plate appearances. Defensively, however, Jones's performance was not great -- 0 errors in 1,370 1/3 innings in center field was -- but a -15.0 zone rating was particularly poor, while his .957 defensive efficiency could've been worse. Overall, it's clear that Jones is much more of a natural corner outfielder, despite the team drafting him with the hope of developing into a center fielder. Although Jones did not log any innings at first base during the 2046 season, it's no secret that he spent some spring innings at first, and had played 102 2/3 innings at first in 2044 and an inning in 2045. Depending on what transpires in free agency with incumbent first baseman António Martínez, and if center field is addressed either in free agency, trade, or within the organization, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Jones could spend more time at first base or shift over full-time.

September Honorable Mention

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Infielder Aaron "The Shoveler" McDaniel

McDaniel, 24, was called up after a solid season with Class-AAA Brooklyn, and impressed in his limited time with the Gamblers during the month of September. The former 2nd round (48th overall) pick by the Gamblers in the 2040 BBA Amateur Draft finished the 2046 season with the Gamblers hitting .387/.387/.710 with 6 runs scored, 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, 2 stolen bases in 2 attempts (1.000 success rate), and a 0.3 WAR in 32 plate appearances (9 games, 8 starts). McDaniel finished his 2046 season with Class-AAA Brooklyn hitting .287/.339/.441 with 34 runs scored, 18 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs, 50 RBIs, 17 stolen bases in 23 attempts (.739 success rate), and a 1.1 WAR in 304 plate appearances. It's possible that McDaniel makes the 2047 Gamblers' roster; however, one thing working against him is he has not shown defensive proficiency at second base or third base, limiting his true versatility to only first base or designated hitter. This lack of versatility could ultimately work against him, though there are still many factors that are far from settled when determining what the landscape of the 2047 Gamblers roster will look like.
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