2046 Brooklyn Robins Preview

[StormZ_23]

For my final preview of the 2046 season, I will be taking a look at the Brooklyn Robins. Over the past few seasons, this franchise has turned it around following a subpar spell in the late 2030s. The Robins were knocked out of the Doubleday Series by the eventual Landis winners, the Edmonton Jackrabbits. So, I'm wondering if this team has enough firepower to regain a playoff spot, maybe even at the expense of the Jackrabbits for good measure.

The Robins have an interesting situation at the catcher spot. Francisco Flores is easily the best catcher on this roster. However, he can't hit against lefties. Good thing Gerardo Eremitani can hit for power against both right handers and left handers. So, there could be a platoon. However, what does this mean for Geomar Conti? He is the perfect backup catcher, but he can't hit. So is Eremitani's bat good enough to also be a bench bat? Personally, I think having this group of 3 catchers will be worth it. As for the rest of the infield, there are a few solid pieces. If I were to guess the starting first baseman, it would be Art O'Bryan as he can actually play the position. I think Rafael Mota deserves a spot on the roster, possibly as a DH against LHP. If the Robins are looking for offense from the second base position, the starter will be Miguel Santana. Although, if they only care about defense then the starter will be Paul Glenn. It's nice to see an actual shortstop that can both hit and field. At the very least, Dick Walton is a premium defender. I'm curious what the Robins are thinking for the third base spot. They signed veteran Duane Whitley Jr. to a multi-year deal, so he has to have a role on this team. But players like Brian Dixon and Ron Paul have the ability to handle a roster spot too. Lots of questions here.

As for the outfield, the Robins have one of the best in the JL, maybe even the BBA. It's a shame that Felipe Vega isn't a great fielder, because he should be producing 6+ WAR every season. He is that good. He is receiving a ton of money too, so for the sake of the Robins payroll, Vega needs to do more than hit home runs. As for Sawyer Slizz, he is the example of what happens when you're an all star level hitter with premium defense. I'm very curious to see how much money Slizz will receive. Juan Rodriguez definitely needs to stay in the DH spot to provide positive value. This means the right fielder will be Liann-wei Tong. He's not necessarily a great hitter, but it's always nice to not have to worry about defense.

The Robins lost many pitchers who made starts in the 2045 season. The only real pitching prospect who could see time in Brooklyn this season is Juan Guerrero. There a couple of returning faces to the starting rotation. One of those players is Pierre Legrand. Legrand missed much of the 2045 season following an incredible 2044 season. If he can produce 4+ WAR, the front office should be happy. Carlos Silva is another returning pitcher. However, I don't expect much apart from back of the rotation production. Elmer Boyd and Leonard Collins are young guys that will both likely see time in the rotation. However, I wouldn't expect much from them. The Robins recently made a trade for reliever Jorge Huerta. He's not a superstar, but he's a trustworthy player. As for the rest of the bullpen, I see a bunch of below average to average bullpen guys.

I'm not sure if the Robins can replicate what they did last season. While the hitting core is solid, the pitching just isn't really there. I think they are going to be taking a step back this season. I predict a 78-84 record.