Mumbai Metro Stars
TOP RETURNING HITTER: DH Jose Olivarez(.360/.401/.507/.908, 2.9 WAR, 130 RS, 75 RBI, 53 SB)
TOP RETURNING PITCHER: SP Manuel Pena(8-5, 4.15 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 2.8 WAR)
TOP NEWCOMER: P Jaime Torres from Kuwait City(3-3-5, 3.93, 1.19 WHIP, 99K/73.1 IP, 1.3 WAR)
OSA has the Stars duking it out with Libya in a two team race. The offense should be fun to watch as they added C Dan Clapper, IF Sancho Castillo, and OF Keiran Filby to the lineup. At 19 Filby is ready to drop into the heart of the lineup after dominating AA and AAA pitching last season. His weakness is a lack of power(12 HR in 595 PA) and his fielding, which he has never had to do since being drafted in 2041. He should be a DH but Olivarez has that spot for now. Pena and Torres will head a rotation that has former Red Army starter Eric Roush as it's third best starter.
Libyan Generals
TOP RETURNING HITTER: OF Carlos Alonso(.308/.359/.522/.881, 2.6 WAR, 69XBH, 111 RBI, 88 RS)
TOP RETURNING PITCHER: CL James Braddock(4-5-32, 4.26 ERA, 1.5 WAR, 6 BS)
TOP NEWCOMER: 3B Michael Best from CSKA via trade with Manama(.337/.410/.555/.965, 78 XBH, 122 RBI, 119 RS, 6.5 WAR)
No team added more offense in the UMEBA than the Generals. After picking up Takechi Eida(4.4 WAR in AA), Virgil Shafer(6.1 WAR), and Morgan Hollinger(3.3 WAR) in the contraction draft, they traded for the Bancroft Hitter of the Year in Best. They weren't finished as they hit free agency and brought in BBA veterans Miguel Saurez, Franciso Mendez, and Domingo Rivera. There could be as many as six or seven new starters for the Generals in 2044. So much that last seasons best hitter may not even make the final roster. The pitching staff is mostly the same as they had last season.
Bucharest Impalers
TOP RETURNING HITTER: OF Ricardo Esparaza(.305/.367/.474/.841, 2.8 WAR, 62 XBH, 114 RS, 80 RBI)
TOP RETURNING PITCHER: SP Mateus Rabiska(12-6, 3.55 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 5.7 WAR, 220.1 IP)
TOP NEWCOMER: SP Fraser Pond from Cairo(12-14, 5.39 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 2.1 WAR)
The Impalers are expected to finish right around .500 which would leave them far off the pace for a playoff position. Jay Gamble joins Esparaza as the heart of the offense. Gamble had a pretty good season in 2043 but most expected bigger things from him. Pond joins Rabiska and veteran Matt Hansen to form a pretty good top three in the rotation while Mario Villarreal and his 34 saves return to the closer role.
Athens Fighting Centaurs
TOP RETURNING HITTER: 1B Yancy Cravat(.304/.369/.627/.996, 4.9 WAR, 59 HR, 104 RS, 159 RBI)
TOP RETURNING PITCHER: SP Juan Rodriquez(9-6, 4.99 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 2.9 WAR)
TOP NEWCOMER: SP Francis Wiles from Istanbul(12-7, 4.54 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 2.8 WAR)
The Fighting Centaurs are picked to finish last in the Bancroft by a wide margin. There is some excitement on offense with the return of Luz Arbizo and his 104 bases on balls and the addition of Jack Moniker from the contraction draft. On the mound they brought in some BBA veterans to complete for rotation spots and Akli Yoof returns with his 31 saves and 1.7 WAR from the closer position.
