2044 Omaha Cyclones Preview

[StormZ_23]

Omaha won the off-season. We can all agree on that. They made the biggest signing of the off-season when they signed superstar SP Aki Kondo to a 6 year deal worth $221 million. With pitching being such a sought after commodity in the league, this immediately places the Cylcones in the playoff hunt. Do they have enough talent for a deep postseason run? Let's find out.

The catching situation isn't great. I can see a platoon here, but I'd imagine that Toshikazu Noguchi will get the majority of the starts behind the plate. There are many solid players in this infield. First baseman Wilson Estrada finished second in FL Newcomer of the Year voting in 2043. Estrada could probably play third base if needed, but he is a gold glove level first baseman as well as a great hitter. He will be a mainstay of this organization for a long time. Longtime second baseman James Monger has consistently put up great seasons during his career in Omaha. He should continue to do more of the same in 2043. Of course, we have veteran third baseman Emilio Morales. He is likely past his prime years, but look for him to provide a veteran presence in the dugout. The starting shortstop job will be a battle between Jose Montano and free agent acquisition Alan Williamson. I imagine Williamson will win that battle.

A lot of offensive talent lies the outfield. Two of the most feared hitters in the FL are Orlando Ordonez and Andre Ly. Both of them possess elite hitting skills, explosive speed, and a well rounded defensive prowess. 22 year old right fielder Donald Miller would be a surefire starting right fielder on most teams in the league. However, trade acquisition Jim Antolin and veteran Jimmy Starks Jr. will have something to say about that. The Cylcones have options, which should allow them to make some big trades down the road.

We have to look at this starting rotation. We already know about Kondo, but a rotation is only successful if everyone does their job. If Timo Dooley is your #2 pitcher, teams will hate to play you. He seems to have found his footing in the major leagues, but he still needs to prove he can be that shutdown starter his scouting report says he can be. Off-season acquisition Jorge Hernandez will look to stick in the Cyclones mid-rotation. Jose Lima and Stephen Clulow fill the final two spots of the rotation. With all of the outfield depth this team has, don't be surprised if Omaha makes a trade for another starter. Patrick Whitlock and Norio Hayashi are the main pieces of this bullpen. If this team wants to make a playoff run, they are going to have to build a foundation in the bullpen. Trust me, I know from experience.

This is an exciting team with a mix of proven veterans and young stars. The Cyclones will have to make a few moves to bolster the bullpen and possibly add another starting pitcher. This team will remain in the playoff hunt throughout the season, but without a proper bullpen, I don't see them going very far in the playoffs. Although, playoff revenue is always nice. I predict an 86-76 record. There may even be a game 163 for the final spot.

[niles08]

Nicely written up Taylor. Thank you. I agree we need a few bullpen pieces but have little money to spend to get there.

[CTBrewCrew]

Anything will be an improvement over the 0-12 start from last season. I see them grabbing a wildcard

[aaronweiner]

Dooley's inability to strike out batters is somewhat surprising given his makeup.

[RonCo]

Dooley's inability to strike out batters is somewhat surprising given his makeup.

Purely blundering around here, but that makes me wonder if poor catching has anything to do with it.

[aaronweiner]

He had the same problem in the minors, too. No idea.

[RonCo]

Weird.