Pitching
The Flyers will be throwing out five really good starters in their rotation, though none are a bonafide ace. Little Johnny Rasmussen III showed up in a big way last season, winning 17 games while sporting a 3.76 FIP in 2059. Jim Fleming and Buwono Mainaky remain at the top of the rotation and hope to return their sub-4 ERAs in 2060. Mauro Mendoza didn’t quite repeat his 2058 success, but had a solid season. My favorite player in the pitching staff, however, is Jacquot Natta. The rookie should have won Gillstrom honors and you might wonder why would a pitcher with a 4.67 ERA be worthy of such an honor. Well, Natta is also an up and coming 3B in addition to pitching. And while he posted 2.2 WAR as a pitcher last season, he saw his secondary pitches improve in the development lab this offseason. Seven-time all-star, Alejandro Chavez anchors the bullpen, but Charlotte could use a little help bridging the gap between starters and Chavez.
Infield
Well, Natta didn’t win the Gillstrom, but his teammate did. Lawrence Stewart had an exceptional year behind the plate for the Flyers and batted .319 in his rookie campaign. He’s also no slouch behind the dish. Natta had a helluva offseason and improved his 3B defense in the development lab, as well. He hit 24 HR in his first season and hopes to find continued success. Being able to adequately play the hot corner will help his career immensely. Elvan Masuki won’t hit much, but he’s got one of the best gloves in the league at SS, which was vacated by veteran Robert Menzies as he finishes his career at 2B. Menzies surprisingly stayed on the field for most of 2059 and proved he can still be a great player when he’s on the field by posting a 4.1 WAR season. Dallas Dixon continues to be one of the league’s best hitters and will bat leadoff for the Flyers. He hit .332 with 65 SB last season and would be a welcome addition to the top of any lineup.
Outfield
Charlotte has one of the league’s most feared outfielders in Tadataka Yoshikawa, however he has struggled to stay on the field. His .955 OPS in 2059 in 119 games is fantastic, but the Flyers would like that to occur over the course of 140+ games. And if he goes down, the Flyers don’t have a ton of options. Outfield might be the weakest part of this team outside of Yoshikawa. Miguel Montero and Victor Frazier provide great defense, but won’t bring much of a threat to the lineup.
Designated Hitter
Expect a combination of Fuad Demirel and Banger Dan at DH. Neither player is gonna have that oomph you’d like at DH, but the Flyers’ options are limited.
Without any cap room, the Flyers might not be able to make the moves they wish they could. Like adding an arm to the bullpen or a power hitter in the outfield or DH. Regardless, the Flyers are in good position after winning 90 games last season for their second consecutive playoff berth. And if Menzies and Yoshikawa stay on the field, I don’t see why this team can’t repeat that success again, but I’m less than optimistic they both remain healthy. Even so, I like the Flyers for 90 wins and another battle for a wildcard spot.
