2046 Calgary Pioneers Preview

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StormZ_23
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2046 Calgary Pioneers Preview

Post by StormZ_23 » Sat Feb 20, 2021 7:21 pm

Calgary always seems to be one of those teams that are consistently in the playoff hunt. I joined in the league in mid-2036. Since then the Pioneers have only finished under .500 three times. Last season, the Pioneers finished 94-68, 9 games above their expected record. Well, they met their match in the playoffs as they were swept by the Boise Spuds in the Doubleday Series. Calgary is looking for a second chance, but do they have the squad to regain a playoff spot?

Their doesn't seem to be a conclusive winner for the starting catcher spot. However, if I were to pick one of the four catchers on the spring training roster, it would be Tony Lopez purely because he is the best defender in the group. Although, I wouldn't expect much on the hitting side, especially considering his stats in AAA last season. However, the Pioneers have a lot depth in the infield. The first baseman will likely be Tim Battle. He is entering his third season and will surely be a 3-4 WAR player. There are two other first baseman on the roster: Matt Normore and Bryan Gill. These two would actually work well as a DH platoon. 2B Scott Bell recently signed a three year extension for $21 million. If he can revert back to his 2044 production, this contract is a steal. Imazighen Kibaslia will likely be the starting shortstop, although speaking from experience, I don't trust shortstops with 8 range. So someone like Ignacio Venegas could get a shot. Alfonso Trinidad is not a great defender at third base, but if he continues hitting 40+ home runs, the defense shouldn't be a problem.

The Pioneers have an interesting conundrum in left field. Hadji Ufansi, Juan Karyabwite, and Steve Rogers all have their own unique qualities. It will be interesting to see who wins the starting spot. There are too many center fielders with similar skillsets to list, so I can't pick a starting center fielder either. RF Francisco Medina is a good hitter and not a great defender. But the DH spot is already filled in my mind, so you have to place him in right field. Although, Ralph Callahan is an interesting player too.

Onto the starting rotation. The Pioneers possess a lot of depth in this position. The ace of this staff is ol' reliable Jefferson Pierce. Expect around 4 WAR from him. Quintiliano Rodeia is an intriguing player. His scouting report says he should be better than he really is. If he can get back to 2044 form, he could be a solid mid-rotation starter. The Pioneers signed Stephen Taub to a 3 year contract worth $15 million. A decent signing. You can't have too many proven mid-rotation starters. Juan Garcia is like Rodeia in that his scouting report is better than his results. I think the final spot in the rotation will be a battle between Jose Arellano, Frank Boland, and Rodrigo Gallegos. I would pick Boland considering how well he played in 2045. As for the bullpen, it could be very good. Players like Dwight Owens and Ismael Guzman both have untapped potential, but at least their only middle relievers. While Fernando Rangel, Quirke Roddis, and Joel Ottoboni all seemed to underperform last season, they have the potential to turn this bullpen into one of the best in the JL.

This team has a lot of question marks. I think their floor is a .500 team that just misses out on a wild card spot. It's important to keep in mind that last year they overperformed their expected record, so they could easily fall out of the playoff race. The ceiling of this team is a wild card spot as I don't think they can win the division. I predict a 86-76 record and a wild card spot.
Taylor Bettencourt
Vancouver Mounties GM (2036 - Present)

2041 Frick League GM of the Year
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