2051 Doubleday Preview: Hustlers vs Aztecs (Best of 7)

[neugey]

Now reaching the Doubleday round, The Heartland Division still has 3 representatives in the 2051 playoffs: the Mexico City Aztecs, the Las Vegas Hustlers and the Phoenix Talons. The Hustlers and the Aztecs square off against each other starting tonight, and that is the series we will take a closer look at.

The Hustlers swept their last opponent (the Charlotte Cougars) in the Geoghegan round, so fatigue should not be a factor for them in this series. On the other side, the Aztecs hope to be sharp and show little rust after 11 days of rest following their first round bye.

The 104-game winning Aztecs are a heavy favorite in this series. They led the Johnson League in runs scored. They also possess top-notch pitching, with their four core starters all generating 11+ wins and 3.6+ WAR. The 2051 season, however, has not been without its challenges. Their excellent closer Manuel Cruz (33 saves) has a major injury and won't be able to pitch again until well into the 2052 season. Lefty John Avery has looked pretty solid as Cruz's replacement, but his control can be a weak spot. It will be interesting to see how the Aztecs use their bullpen in the postseason, and how long of a leash some of their relievers will get.

Offensively, the Aztecs are second in AVG, OPS and batter WAR. Center fielder Felix Roman had a breathtaking season. He exhibited great defense, a .301 batting average and an eye-popping 172 RBI's. He looks to feast on Las Vegas' predominately right-handed pitching, as will fellow lefty outfielder Felipe Vega (.307 average, 139 RBI's).

Las Vegas will have to somehow survive this left-handed onslaught and try to keep the big run totals off the board. The major edge for the Hustlers is playoff experience - 16 of the 27 players on their playoff roster have at least one Landis ring in their jewelry box. One of the playoff stalwarts is RF Tom Rudge, who had a terrific 2051 campaign with a .340 average and 129 runs scored, which led the Johnson League. The Hustlers also were first in stolen bases during the regular season, so maybe they can manufacture some of the runs that they will surely need. But in order to hang with the Aztecs, the Hustlers will need some big offensive explosions of their own. Power hitters such as Stephen Geloran Jr will need to catch fire in order for Las Vegas to make this a series.

Final verdict: I can't shake the feeling that the experience will play a part in the series and make things a little closer than most people predict. I think the Aztecs might tighten up a little and leave more runners on base than they would like. But ultimately, I think the Aztecs will still prevail with a 4-2 series win.

[recte44]

I couldn’t get past the Aztecs. Great series

[7teen]

I couldn’t get past the Aztecs. Great series

That game 7 was a heartbreaker!