Following a humbling 66-win season in 2052, the Pikemen rebounded nicely to a .500 record in 2053. So far, General Manager Jim Slade has decided to believe in the progress shown last year and entrust 2054 to the players already on board, plus perhaps a rookie or two as needed.
As of this writing, the Pikemen haven't added a major league player from free agency or Rule V. There is a little cap space for a late acquisition, and perhaps Rockville is waiting a late-breaking free agency bargain or the right fit on waivers. Rockville is in this situation because their big acquisition actually came late in August 2053, when Rockville obtained 7-time all-star SP Danny Leach from Boise for some prospects, then signed him to a 6-year contract.
The big news of the off-season for Rockville fans came during the IFA period. Tuvalu native Ekela Kirila, a 16-year bona-fide power-hitting center field prospect was added to the international complex after agreeing to terms with the Pikemen. This youngster received life-changing wealth, as the Pikemen committed a $10 million bonus to secure Kirila's rights. This switch-hitter will be an interesting player to keep your eye on, but even if he develops as hoped his impact won't be felt until the next decade. For those who are curious, Tuvalu is an island chain fixated between Hawaii and Australia.
But back to 2054 and the team at hand. The Pikemen did suffer a few minor player losses. Starting pitchers Jafar Haamid and Danya Tchekanov departed in free agency and both now play in Twin Cities (Tchekanov in AAA). RP Juan Ruiz (2.65 ERA, 9 holds) also became a free agent. But with Leach now on board, none of these players will be missed.
Consistent with their 81-81 2053 record, the team was in the middle of back according to offense and pitching stats. With a young core however, these rankings will only continue to improve. Outside of 3-time all-star RF Julio Barajas, the Pikemen are in their 20's prime on offense. CF Joshua Zorn is a great defensive OF who also exceeded expectations with his bat in his first full year of action. LF Bronx Cortez is a big lefty cleanup hitter who led the team with 95 RBI in 2053. C John McMuttray can rake and hit plenty of homers. He is complemented by backstop Garm Guldenmond, the more consistent defensive catcher of the duo. SS Socrates Kazantziakis is a defensive whiz with speed on the basepaths. Switch-hitting Vasco Fonzarelli is a switch-hitting infielder whose calling card is power and adequate defense. Outside of Barajas, there is not any one Pikemen player that will blow your mind. But this is a well-constructed offense whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
On the pitching side, the Pikemen have a good mix of arm talent that fans are starting to get excited about. Leach is now on board for a full 2054 season to lead the rotation. Hard-throwing right Nasir al Din bin Sahir, who managed a 3.78 ERA and 121 ERA+ in 2053, won't be far behind him. Former Hustler Nathaniel Davis still has the arsenal to pitch as well as he did with Las Vegas. Now it's just time to put it together. The bottom of the rotation may be somewhat fluid. Lefty Matt McCartney (5.31 ERA, 1.59 WHIP in 2053) needs to step it up or he could get moved to the bullpen.
And if there was a sore spot for the Pikemen last year, it was the bullpen. Closer Juan Manuel recorded 27 saves, but went 1-7 with 7 blown saves and ugly 1.71 WHIP. The job could easily be passed to 23-year-old Luis Gonzalez, who had a 2.47 ERA and 190 ERA+ in 65.2 innings of relief work. For the Pikemen in 2053, no pitcher had more than 8 wins. That is likely a sign of bullpen failure. Rockville will have to patch up this area in 2054.
Outlook:
This team could be on the rise in 2054 and has the talent to brush 90 wins. Given how stacked the Johnson Atlantic is, they might need to get there in order to secure a playoff berth and give western Maryland some baseball excitement.
