Pitching
This could be a total crapshoot and quite impossible to preview. Maybe the better prediction will be an over/under on how many starters miss substantial time on the injured list. Shall we set the line at 4.5? 2046 proved to be a difficult season for the Hustlers’ team trainer as five starters missed over a month of time, including four season enders. If everyone can stay healthy, Vegas has one of the deepest rotations in the Frontier, including 2046 1st round draft pick, Jay Hodge, who had a solid rookie campaign and looks to carry that success into the new season. Stan Cyr may be healthy to begin the season, but might want to ramp up with a few rehab starts in AAA before facing BBA hitters as he recovers from a partially torn UCL. Breakout star, Brian King, is looking at a return after the all-star break, but Martin Ross and Nathaniel Davis will hold down the fort until then.
Infield
Blaine Tyler and Damek Korbel hold down the left side of the infield and it’s hard to find a better duo. Both play great defense and handle the bat well. Tyler is a guy you want in the middle of your lineup and Korbel is always a threat to win a Zimmer at SS. Yi-ke Hsiao will be Korbel’s double play partner, but could be at risk of losing his job to rookie, Rod Rodda, so he will need to perform at his highest level. Carlos Fernandez looks to hold down 1B duties for now, but could lose time to get rookie Abu Wamukota into the lineup. Calvin Johnson is a tick below league average as a hitter, but the pitching staff loves the game he calls.
Outfield
The Hustlers have a solid crew manning the outfield with the likes of Tom Rudge, Kidane Ata, and Jim Ashford, however, they don’t have much depth outside of them. For a team that seems so prone to injury, they should look for a versatile fourth outfielder that can play everywhere in the outfield. Ata came over in a early season trade last year and provided much needed thump into the lineup with 28 bombs and added 19 SB while providing Zimmer-esque defense in CF. After a disappointing start to his career, Rudge has finally strung together back-to-back solid seasons and will look to crushing LHP again after he had a 1.010 OPS in 2046. Ashford is always a with threat to RHP and has never hit below .305 in his career, so expect another big season in the heart of the lineup.
Designated Hitter
Carlos Santillan and Jerome Delage will likely platoon as the DH. Coming off a solid cup of coffee in 2046, Santillan is a threat to hit .300 and has great splits vs RHP. Delage may just be a placeholder as the veteran has been a league average player since last decade and spent all of 2046 in the minors.
The Hustlers certainly look like a threat to win the Frontier again with a combination of pitching, defense, and putting the ball in play. Matt Rectenwald has done a good job returning the team to glory and they should fight for a chance to win the pennant again this season. They won 88 games in 2046 despite all their injuries, so if they stay healthy, 95 wins is certainly possible in the Frontier, which is welcoming new GMs to half the division.
