The C.S.K.A. Army are one of two UMEBA expansion teams starting play in the 2043 season. The Army has been placed in the Bancroft League which was so competitive in 2042 that first and fourth place were devided by just three games and the wild card had to be decided by a one game play in. Only the Mumbai Metro Stars finished under .500 for the season. Expect more of the same in 2043 but throw the Army into the mix.
At first glance it's easy to see the Army should be able to put up runs at will. They have signed several former BBA players in an attempt to begin their journey with a winning record. It's just as easy to see that pitching will be a huge problem for them. How many 8-7 games can one team win? Michael Best was the big name of the offseason, the one that had the entire Brewster buzzing. Best was a BBA All-Star for Long Beach in 2037 where he posted a 5.5 WAR and had his best season. He's been on a downward trend ever since but has still been serviceable before taking the money and running to the UMEBA this offseason. Most experts expect him to battle for a batting title and hit over 30 homers. Best and his 167 BBA homers have certainly brought a lot of cred to the UMEBA. Joining Best in the heart of the Army lineup will be another third baseman Jose Roman. If the name sound familiar it's because in the summer of 2040 his name was all over the UMEBA Map. He won Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Silver Slugger at third base with the Manama Pearls. He put up a 5.5 WAR that season but has not been able to live up to 2040 managing just 2.4 WAR combined for the two seasons after. The big question is where will he play? He and Best play the same position so who will be a fulltime DH or will one of them head to the bench? The third slugging star for the Army is outfielder Mauro Saucido who finished second in the Bancroft with a .328 batting average last season with Beruit. Saucido's contract was sold to the Army for $2 million dollars so you have to wonder if the Cedars know something about the 28 year old.
On the mound there is very little experience for the Army. Eric Rush had the best spring of any Army starter(.77 ERA) but he's coming off a 5.70 ERA in AAA in 2042. Brian Sykes also had a decent spring but he's coming off of five years in AAA where he could never stick with the big club before he started to head back down the minor league ladder. He came to the UMEBA as a last ditch attempt to capture that BBA career he has always dreamed of. The bullpen was about 50/50 on guys that showed a little bit of promise and guys who got shelled which included closer Marcos Cruz who gave up eight spring runs in just over seven innings while racking up five saves.
I don't predict the Army to finish over .500 this year but they should be fun to watch.
Team Preview: 2043 C.S.K.A. Army
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