1B Raúl 'Scooter' Gallehos #36When I think of the Twin Cities River Monsters, I think of a solid offense (792 runs scored in '62), and I think of one player: 1B Raúl 'Scooter' Gallehos (6/10/5). Guy came out of seemingly nowhere—he finished 2061 in Single-A after all—to hit .325, slug 50 home runs, drive in 127 runs, and post a 7.5 WAR on a team whose combined WAR was 34. Those numbers by one player were higher than any single player on Des Moines last season, which outscored TWC by 17 runs. So, yeah, this guy is scary good and a true nemesis at the plate. How could Montreal trade such a guy? In mid-61, the Blazers went hard after CF Ed Rooney, a great but frequently injured #9 hitter, and sent not only our man Gallehos but the RM centerfielder Victor Frazier, who fields as good as Mister Ed and costs millions less. As for Gallehos, he didn't improve his outfield defense at the TWC D-Lab this spring, so he is probably best kept at first, where his sparkling 10 fielding rating got him a 3.1 ZR in 75 starts. Gallehos's hitting exploits won him the 2062 FL MVP Award, and he led the league with 392 TB.
No team is just one player, and the RM feature the number one ranked catcher in the league, Mathew Malone (6/7/6), who posted a 5.3 WAR, second to Gallehos. He hit 28 homers and posted a .922 OPS. Malone is backed up by returning César Román, but more so by free-agent, the veteran TNT Tatlock (6/3/2), whose 10/9/9/10 glove ratings make him one of the best fielders behind the plate. He started 84 for the Sluggers last season, when he hit .258 and posted a 2.3 WAR.
In November, PHX sold Your Momma and three other batters for one crisp dollar bill to TWC. Now, your Mother, Joseph (6/6/6 DH) hit .354 this spring (training) and is set to bat fourth, at least versus righties, in between Gallehos and Malone. Yo' Momma hit .297 (.855 OPS) last season for PHX. His home run numbers dropped from 37 in '60 to 34 to 20 last season. He is (now?) showing split ratings that highly favor righty pitchers.
The offense doesn't stop there— not hardly—as LF Chao Yuan (7/6/10) joins the RM from Brooklyn, where he hit .284-16-72 with 44 doubles and an .831 OBP. Third baseman, Félix 'Sky' Ramos another "10 eye guy" looks to be the lead off hitter. This 12-year vet of the team was re-acquired, to the delight of fans, after a year's vacation in San Fernando, whose team is floating half his salary. Jorge Canó (5/8/7 vs LHP)—who also came over from Brooklyn—will steal some at-bats from Ramos.
22-year-old stud Pedro Aguilar (7/6/5), drafted 29th (!) in the first round a 11 months ago, became the league's 52-ranked prospect and then crashed the Major League and Minnesota scene, when he hit 291/354/500 (.854 OPS) in August and September. He is not finished developing and let's see how much OOTPv26 will add to his current abilities. This was a first-round boon for TWC, and is ranked as the league's 9th best RFer.
The team still has veteran and exceptionally fielding 2B Niaz Minhas on the rolls, but last season the RM acquired another great, Miller Shed, from Valencia, and he came over to TWC and the .311 average he posted in 95 starts looked a lot like his old self (he was hitting .228 when traded). Shed is good for a positive WAR at second and has speed on the basepaths. He also makes me thirsty for beer.
Shortstop—or as I like to say, torpedero—will again be manned by Randall Gray (5/7/6), who starts his 6th season for the RM. The four previous seasons he has averaged 5.0 WAR. He led the team this spring with 65 at-bats and converted those into a .446 batting average (29 for 65). A solid shortstop, he and Beer Me Strength form a solid double play combo, and the above-mentioned Victor Frazier will not disappoint with his mitt in center, if his 13.0 ZR last season is a tip.
That bunch packs a punch and does not let you down on defense. It's a solid team. Look for Octávio Sánchez (2B) to start versus lefties. Darren Wearne is a capable OFer/UTL.
On the mound, expect the familiar pair Erik Brooks (180 IP, 3.6 WAR) and Jerry Stone (174 IP, 3.2 WAR) to be 1-2 in the rotation. Brooks is losing leverage against lefties, and he turns 34 in three weeks; he just signed a five-year extension with two player opt-outs baked into the contract. Stone has three years remaining in a four-year deal. The rotation is filled out by Enzo Bouton, an 11-stamina guy used mostly in relief the last four seasons for Omaha (now Brook Park), probably because of his 2 control; by Rubén Flores, STA 9 (7/6/6 POT), who in 117 IP of mixed duty last season had a 2.31 ERA (2.4 WAR); and by the pair of wrecked Japanese vets Yoshii Takuda and Tokugawa Yamashita. A month into the season, look for Phil 'Brewmeister' Cole, currently on the IL, to make a run for a spot in the rotation.
In the pen, we find the very promising and sophomore closer, the 22-y.o. Jorge Durán, who saved 20 games last season. A Round 10 pick by YS9 in 2057, he was dealt to TWC for the great Wayne Burr, a journeyman reliever whose ratings got effed by version 25 and this season hopes to see time in the GBC Pharaohs campaign. Our Jorge Durán is especially deadly against RHB. He will be assisted by the former Flyer, Andrés Gonzáles, age 30, who last season for TWC logged 168.2 IP from the bullpen in 84 games while posting a 3.0 WAR. The MR corps includes the returning cluster of Ángelo Rodríguez (37 IP), southpaw Jorge Quiñones (49.2 IP), António García (17 IP), and 23-y.o. Henry Wemp. These last two can also start, which is good news if anybody in the posted rotation falls apart or underperforms. Brian Groves joins from Boise.
A triad a youngsters, José López, Bartolo Martínez, and southpaw Rich Ashe could contribute this season, although the latter two have low control.
The Twin Cities River Monsters, led by Raúl Gallehos, look to be among the top run-producing teams this season, does not feature as strong a pitching set, yet could challenge for as a high as the number one spot in the Heartland. The RM have a great chance for another 100-win season.
