2055 Montreal Blazers Preview

[JimSlade]

The 2054 Montreal Blazers finished second in the Johnson League Atlantic Division with a 92-70 record, 15 games behind the runaway Charm City Jimmies. The Blazers raked at a .293 team clip, yet still managed to finish with a minus-2 run differential. The team's young starting rotation, however, is just entering its prime and already shows more polish than some more experienced rotations in the Atlantic. [Mmm, I can think of one in the Beltway.] If the young pitching peaks while the experienced bats still have some whack left in them, the Blazers could take the next step that has eluded them in past seasons.

The bats aren't going anywhere. All the veteran, gap-hitting suspects are back. There's third baseman Eduardo Gonzalez, who slashed a .300/.364/.547 line accompanied by 30 home runs. Second baseman Lineu Aldo hit only 18 bombs, but up a .305/.340/.509 slash line. Centerfielder Pedro Rosales, smack in the middle of his prime, at 27, mirrored his veteran counterparts, batting .297 with a .370 on-base percentage, and a .528 slugging percentage. Shortstop Dick Walton, another Blazer with a possible date with Father Time, and newly added Matthew Reilly are also expected to contribute to frequent turns of the lineup.

Thirty-year-old Bill Mills is the Big Brother of the starting rotation. He posted a 17-8 record last season, by not handing out free passes and minimizing the damage of the contact batters made. Cheslav Evgrafov similarly made the best of weak contact. Lefthander Carl Vincent went the power route, leading the league in strikeouts while winning 15 games. Ralph Boyd, now 26, had a 16-6 record and a 4.19 WAR in his third full season. I'm looking forward to seeing this kid develop. At least not when he's facing my team.

The Blazers' bullpen will be a thing to watch. Closer Max Birstall doesn't keep the ball down, but is effective. Veteran Mitchell Pursell, whose team option the Rockville Pikemen declined after picking him up off waivers midseason, makes things interesting with his sometimes effectively wild stuff. Lefty veteran middle reliever Carlton Casson is a stabilizing force, when he's not slugging 2 dozen home runs at a part-time DH. Did I say this team can hit?

If the Blazers can shore up their bullpen, I see them taking another step forward and challenging the Jimmies for the division crown, with 96 regular-season wins.

[trmmilwwi]

Nice writeup!

[BaseClogger]

The age of this roster is something I'm looking forward to not seeing so frequently once the uber draft classes retire.