2054 Omaha Cyclones Preview

[RT60]

What a season last year for the Cyclones! 105 wins with a whopping 11 games distance between them and 2nd place Des Moines. An astonishing 32-win improvement over the mediocre 73 wins in 2052. They also finally made the playoffs after playing golf early the prior four seasons. This a franchise that was a playoff mainstay in the 2040’s, including their lone Memorial Series win in 2046. Unfortunately for Omaha fans, the team peaked during the regular season and came out flat in the Doubleday Series against Nashville, managing only one win. Then the popular owner of the team sadly passed away.

Can they again win the best division in the BBA despite fierce competition from ever-popular Louisville, and some other teams? Can they shake off the shame of losing to Nashville in the playoffs and propel themselves to a championship? Will playing for the memory of their late owner make a difference? Let’s find out.

Infield

At 1B, long-time Cyclone Wilson Estrada returns for the last year of his six-year 11.5M/yr contract. Despite being another year older (now 32), Estrada hit a solid .294/25/103 to go along with his solid Diamond Glove defense. Expect another solid year from him all around as he looks to maximize his FA value (though I suspect he will happily sign an extension to stay in Omaha).

At 2B, ageless Angel Zalapa returns, having just signed a two-year deal worth 17M after having his prior and more valuable contract opted-out in a brilliant move by Omaha’s GM (such move to be required learning for all future GMs). Although 38 years old, the man doesn’t seem to age. After a subpar start last season in Long Beach, a trade brought him to Omaha last July where he became obviously re-invigorated, hitting .241/15/36 in just 220 AB. He also continued being the defensive wizard he has always been. Look for Angel to remain a premier defensive second baseman, but not hit well enough to justify even his reduced 7M salary, ultimately leading Omaha to decline the second year of his deal to avoid paying 10M next season.

At SS, Luis Pena comes back for the last year of his 3 year 14.8M/year deal. What a season Luis had! All-star and Diamond Glove at age 33. His best offensive season (.256/9/45) since his only other all-star season in 2046 for Yellow Springs, and his best defensive season since multiple Diamond Glove awards 10+ years ago. Another Diamond Glove is certainly possible and even likely, but offensively Luis might not have as much in the tank this season. Expect a more modest offensive output this season.

At 3B, Rhys Brickell will make his debut after arriving in an off-season trade for #30 prospect Utbah bin Muta. Brickell has a two-year contract with Omaha. He is entering his prime at age 28 and could easily have a breakout offensive year to go along with his superb defense. An OBP close to .400 is possible for him, despite being a greedy, lazy, and disloyal SOB. Omaha fans hopes his play overshadows his personality issues.

At C, Golden Bat winner Sloth Fratelli returns to hopefully find more treasure. “Superman,” as they call him, might not win team trivia nights, but he is a fan favorite who contributes both offensively and defensively. At age 27, he is also entering his prime and should have an even better season in 2054 than his .293/22/82 season last year. Omaha fans hope there aren’t any booby traps in Sloth’s way like falling off roofs, playing Wordle, or eating too much Rocky Road ice cream.

Outfield

In LF, All-Star Du Wu returns for what will be just his third full BBA season. Wu was a monster hitting .254/43/101 and leading the league in ISO. He is also a superb defensive outfielder. He is still getting better, so there is every reason to think he will be a repeat all-star and possibly bring home other awards.

In CF, Cyclone legend Orlando Ordonez returns. A fantastic all-around center fielder, Ordonez just signed a 6-year 69M extension that will keep him in Omaha for what should be the remainder of his career. He is currently tied for #3 in all-time games played for the franchise. At age 33, Ordonez had an all-star season last year hitting .293/38/91 coupled with outstanding defense. Look for him to have a similar season where he shows he deserves to be Omaha’s highest paid player.

In RF, another Cyclone legend, Andre Ly, returns. Ly is also #3 in all-time games played for Omaha, and a fan favorite. Like Ordonez, Ly also recently signed an extension that will keep him in Omaha for awhile. Also like Ordonez, Ly made the all-star team with a solid offensive (.256/19/48) and defensive season despite missing three months with a hamstring injury. I expect Ly to have a similar season.

DH

Eric Wagner returns for the second year of his three year contract. Wagner had a slightly disappointing season after all-star seasons in 2051 and 2052 (though .288/19/66 and 3.1 WAR isn’t bad). What he lacked offensively was made up by his leadership, as he has become a team captain at just 25. Look for Eric to bounce back with a strong offensive showing this season.

Starting Pitching

Omaha will be using the same horses as last season, namely Timo Dooley, Takahashi Nakamura, Haravira Chandar, Jose Barron, and Esteban Cruz, whose combined ERA was fifth in the league. Dooley is now 34 and might not be justifying his 16M salary, but he has been a fixture in Omaha since 2041 and should provide quality innings. Nakamura won 19 games in a fantastic season, and should only improve. Chandar could be a difference maker if he stays healthy. He will be coming off an 8-month UCL injury without any spring training when he starts the season. But if he is able to pitch consistently, watch out Heartland. Barron went 8-2 after arriving in Omaha following a mid-season trade, and should be expected to pitch well. #5 starter Cruz rounds out the bunch and just needs to replicate his 9-8 2053 season. He is in the last year of his contract, so fans are hoping he saves the best for this last year.

Relief Pitching

What a season by Dave Ferrell! In just his third BBA season, he saved 44 games, won the Egan award and comeback player of the year award, and was voted to his first all-star game. There is every reason to expect Ferrell to have a similar season in 2054. The bullpen remains mostly the same as the bullpen that led the league in relief ERA last season. Gone are Fernando Rangel and Alonso Estrada, making room for likely call-up Jorge Santos.

PREDICTION

The Cyclones are going to hit the living crap out of the ball and score a lot of runs, also using their speed to their advantage. Aside from perhaps Zalapa and Pena, the offensive production should be the same as last year. The team puts on a defensive clinic every game and that will certainly continue. Pitching will decide whether the Cyclones win the Heartland or not. With Dooley’s age and Chandra’s fragility, along with the good chance that Cruz could dip from last year, there is a definite possibility that starting pitching is worse overall. There is also a decent chance that Omaha will not be able to have the best bullpen in the league again. That is difficult to achieve. Overall I do expect pitching to collectively drop off from last season, but not much. This will result in 97 wins.

[Jwalk100]

Noice!!!!

[niles08]

EXCELLENT write up. I would be thrilled with 97 wins and I only hope your right!

[Dington]

Great job! I hope they don’t have 97 wins.

[BaseClogger]

Well done! This was an east team to preview. They have mainstays at so many positions.

[CTBrewCrew]

F****in Ferral