2041 California Crusaders Preview

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2041 California Crusaders Preview

Post by StormZ_23 » Sat Dec 28, 2019 12:52 am

2040 Review:
Following their 103 win campaign in 2038, 2039 was a disappointing year for the Crusaders as they fell to 87 wins and 2nd in the Pacific. 2040 was a return to form as they cruised to a first place finish with a 92 win season. One reason for this resurgence was due to one of the more interesting trades of the 2040 season involving Jamie Mercado and Quant Kouros. While this trade helped lead Las Vegas to a Landis, the Crusaders lost the Doubleday Series in seven games against the eventual losers of the Landis, the Louisville Sluggers. Will fortunes change this season?

2041 Lineup Prediction (vs. RHP):
1. 3B Quant Kouros
2. DH Dusty Rhodes
3. LF David Simpson
4. RF Luis Gonzalez
5. 1B Cesar Feliciana
6. C Kazuki Saito
7. CF Po-sin Shi
8. SS Jorge Lugo
9. 2B Daryl Pris

Apart from old man Dusty Rhodes, this is a very young lineup. While this should signal that the Crusaders will be competitive for a long period of time, what does that mean for this season? Well, the downside of a young lineup is the lack of experience the players have. Sure, a few of these guys have seen the playoffs and Dusty Rhodes can provide wisdom to these young players, but tensions can rile up quickly, especially with a slump in the middle of the summer. Talent wise, this is a very good lineup. Kouros just signed his extension and should continue to prove his worth to his new fans, even though he will be taking over the hot corner this season, despite his lack of experience. You know what your going to get with Dusty Rhodes, a lot of hits and that's it. David Simpson will continue to prove why he is a top player in the league and with an actual supporting cast, he should soar to new heights this season. Luis Gonzalez is a solid power bat coming off a good rookie season. Expect improving numbers from him.

Onto the more inexperienced half of the lineup. Feliciana wasn't great in his nine games last year, but I have a feeling he will do just fine this year. Not a bad defender for a first baseman either. Similar story for Saito, he played 59 games last year and while he hit pretty well, he didn't really get on base. He is a good defender though. Shi is your prototypical center fielder. A speedy contact hitter, too bad he can't hit lefties. Lugo is one of the most interesting players on the team. He was 19 during his rookie season last year in Brooklyn. He was a competent hitter, but not a good defender. Hopefully, he will improve this season. Daryl Pris is the final man in this lineup. Not a bad hitter in his rookie season, and a pretty good defender. There a few other noteworthy players who will likely play against left handed pitchers. These players are Andy Seekins Chang-hyeok Chang, and Scott Martin. There are some very good players in this lineup, but too many inexperienced and unproven players. While on paper this offense is an improvement from last season, it's not much of an improvement. But, that does not take away from the many talented players in this lineup.

2041 Starting Rotation Prediction:
1. Luis Gracia
2. Miguel Ramos
3. Cisco Morales
4. Manuel Andres
5. Hao Kun

I believe these are the same 5 guys from the end of last season. Of course, that's not a bad thing. These are talented players. Gracia and Morales were both sensational last season. The problem is that these two are the oldest guys in the rotation, both on the wrong side of 30. That brings up the question of whether these pitchers will regress this season. Gracia had one of his best campaigns last year, but regression could lead to a performance similar to his 2039 season, which in itself was a contributing factor to California falling short of expectations in 2039. You shouldn't expect that much of a regression though. Expect these two to lead this pitching staff in the fight for a playoff birth. Ramos and Andres were both great last season too, both with 3+ WAR seasons. I would expect more of the same from them. Kun was decent following his move to California, but he is certainly a downgrade from Jamie Mercado. However, Kun is definitely the type of player you would love to have in the back of the rotation rather than in the mid-rotation. I like this rotation, but just like last season, how these 5 guys perform will have significant influence and whether this team wins the division or is in the fight for a wild card spot.

I'll quickly talk about the bullpen. I would say this an average bullpen. Everyone is able to hold their own to an extent. Marco Vitalle does scare me though. Put him in a stopper role and you shouldn't see the weaker relievers very often.

2041 Prediction:
Seeing that my 2040 Prediction of San Fernando was 100% correct, clearly I am a psychic and can see into the future. So, you all should take this prediction very seriously. The team has around $7 million to play with, so they need to be crafty with how they decide to improve the team mid-season. While the offense is young, the stars will provide consistent production. If the top starters regress, this team will still be in the fight for a playoff birth, but it will be tough fight, especially with the Pacific getting stronger. I predict an 85-77 record with a wild card birth.
Taylor Bettencourt
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2041 Frick League GM of the Year
2041 FL Pacific Champions

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Re: 2041 California Crusaders Preview

Post by usnspecialist » Sat Dec 28, 2019 1:20 am

I think gracia will hold up this year. I see him topping 200 Wins (currently at 184), approaching 75 WAR (currently at 68.0) and building his under the radar HOF case to the point where it might not be under the radar anymore.
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Des Moines Kernels: 52-

League Champion- 34
JL Champion- 34
FL Champion- 36, 37
JL Southern- 34
FL Pacific- 37, 39
Wild Card- 33, 35, 36, 40, 43

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Re: 2041 California Crusaders Preview

Post by bschr682 » Sat Dec 28, 2019 4:43 am

I wonder what the backup plan is if Kouros has to move back to 1st?
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Re: 2041 California Crusaders Preview

Post by shoeless.db » Sat Dec 28, 2019 8:19 am

bschr682 wrote:
Sat Dec 28, 2019 4:43 am
I wonder what the backup plan is if Kouros has to move back to 1st?
Then everyone shifts a spot over and the Gorilla Man sees more playing time at second.
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Re: 2041 California Crusaders Preview

Post by shoeless.db » Sat Dec 28, 2019 8:21 am

Great preview, Taylor. You’re 100% correct I’m relying on younger guys in my order to be productive and I need the pitching to hold.
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Life is a bit more beautiful when time is measured by the half inning rather than the half hour.

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