Sticking Points 2035.2: New-Look Rockville Lineup?
Posted: Wed May 23, 2018 6:41 am
With the loss of Dusty Rhodes, the Rockville lineup will look different next year. The question for Rockville is: with all their young players arriving around the same time, what will the Pikemen lineup look like?
A few positional battles to watch:
LF/DH: The Pikemen have a logjam at their corner outfield positions. With Yi-ke Zang a lock to take one outfield position, and Jin-song Xuan likely to take over in center, this leaves two positions for four players: last year's starter in LF Gabriel Delgado, last year's starter in RF, Chet Gabriel, and two top prospects: Manuel Marino and Lorenzo Palacios.
There's no obvious answer to this one yet but we're predicting Palacios in left and Marino at first base. Palacios' bat is potentially among the best young players in the BBA. The quick hook will probably go to Marino, as Palacios could play DH with either Gabriel or Delgado in left field.
SS: This is a battle that might not happen at all, since it is possible that last year's incumbent shortstop Jin-song Xuan will be moved to center field, his original position. If Rockville chooses to keep Yi-ke Zang in center field, this becomes an immediate battle.
3B: This looks like Larry Blake's job to lose, especially after a big September and October, but it looks as if the team will likely keep last year's starter Cristo Coronado (18 homers, 85 RBI) around unless he's selected in the expansion draft.
SP: This is probably set, with only the possibility that Bob Coleman is somehow knocked out of the rotation because of lingering issues from his surgery last season. If Coleman can't go the Pikemen probably will search for a starting pitcher (which they might anyway).
A few positional battles to watch:
LF/DH: The Pikemen have a logjam at their corner outfield positions. With Yi-ke Zang a lock to take one outfield position, and Jin-song Xuan likely to take over in center, this leaves two positions for four players: last year's starter in LF Gabriel Delgado, last year's starter in RF, Chet Gabriel, and two top prospects: Manuel Marino and Lorenzo Palacios.
There's no obvious answer to this one yet but we're predicting Palacios in left and Marino at first base. Palacios' bat is potentially among the best young players in the BBA. The quick hook will probably go to Marino, as Palacios could play DH with either Gabriel or Delgado in left field.
SS: This is a battle that might not happen at all, since it is possible that last year's incumbent shortstop Jin-song Xuan will be moved to center field, his original position. If Rockville chooses to keep Yi-ke Zang in center field, this becomes an immediate battle.
3B: This looks like Larry Blake's job to lose, especially after a big September and October, but it looks as if the team will likely keep last year's starter Cristo Coronado (18 homers, 85 RBI) around unless he's selected in the expansion draft.
SP: This is probably set, with only the possibility that Bob Coleman is somehow knocked out of the rotation because of lingering issues from his surgery last season. If Coleman can't go the Pikemen probably will search for a starting pitcher (which they might anyway).
