Pitching
While most teams look forward to teeing off on Valencia’s pitching staff in the past, the 2048 staff appears to be much improved, although very young. 22 year old Ken Arroyo is ready to lead the staff after a promising debut season with a 3.06 FIP in 2047. After being used primarily out of the bullpen in 2047, Micheal Dixon has proven he’s got the stuff to be in the rotation after a solid spring. Ron Smith, Jacob Smiley, and Greg Jackson fill out the rotation, but all will be fighting to keep their spot in 2048. Jorge Magdalena is primed to take over one of those three spots if he can prove he can throw strikes consistently, so keep a close eye on him out of a bullpen role or perhaps a trip to Mars to work on his mechanics. The Stars are hopeful Pedro Calderon or Gerardo Rea can develop their changeup and become a member of the starting rotation, but until then they will be limited to bullpen duties with closer John Olson being one of the best anchors in the game. Another to keep an eye on is Harold Newbold, who was acquired in the Aaron Haney trade. Newbold had a rough spring and will likely begin the season in AAA until he proves he can replace a member of the current Stars’ staff.
Infield
One of the more confusing infields in the BBA resides in Valencia. You’ve got two catchers. One can’t hit, the other can’t catch. You’ve got a 1B in Tony Hernandez who was signed in the offseason, but can’t really hit LHP and is average against RHP for his position. Maybe rookie, Yodo Sato, can slide over to play 1B against LHP, because he’s certainly not a web gem machine at his native 2B. Carlos Martinez is currently pegged to play 2B, but he isn’t a threat offensively, so perhaps he will split time with Jesus Yan to free up a spot at 3B for the consistently underperforming Kenan Reis. Valenica paid a fair $2.2M for slick-fielding SS Reynante Alvero, but he also won’t produce much at the plate. But the most confusing part of all is prospect, Thomas Jefferson, who, at the ripe young age of 21, has already retired twice from baseball. If he sticks around this time, he has the ability to make an immediate impact for the Stars’ middle infield.
Outfield
Probably the most fearsome part of the Stars roster lies in the outfield. Despite losing perennial all-star, Aaron Haney, Dennis French and Frederick Brisset should carry the weight of the offense. Brisset will be sidelined for three weeks with a knee injury, but it shouldn’t be a big loss for a team rebuilding. Jorge Rincon will hawk down balls in CF until Brisset returns and Gene Meade should be the primary RF and is the weakest outfielder of the starters. The combination of French and Brisset in the middle of the lineup will be lethal to RHP in the Frick.
Designated Hitter
Lee Stone in penciled in to be the primary DH, although he could lose at bats to Dan Beard if he isn’t traded. Neither candidate is particularly strong, however, Beard hasn’t shown much in his parts of four seasons and will likely cede opportunities to the younger Stone. Expect to see shuffling here as the infielders get mixed around until a final infield is settled.
The Stars have had a rough stretch in recent years due to multiple changes in management, however, new GM, Morris Ragland appears to have what it takes to put this historic franchise back on its feet. Although the team’s 70 wins in 2047 were a glimmer of hope, the expected win total for the team was 58. A hot start quickly saw the inevitable fall of the Stars’ expectations. 2048 is a new chapter with a new author and characters and I believe they will be much improved, but not quite a .500 team. Although they may fare well in their Pacific matchups, I expect a beating from most Heartland teams and predict the Stars to finish with a record of 79-83.
