Five Jacks to Watch (Hoppy Endings, SP sim 4) [PP:2052.09]

[neugey]

Following the final practice before the Jackrabbits travel to San Antonio for their road opener, GM Mike Bauer went into the Jackrabbits locker room, pulled out a permanent marker and wrote "75+" in large fashion on the locker room wall.

"75 wins or greater. That's our milestone for this year," declared Bauer. "We've added some talent to improve the team, particularly on offense. We'll see what the media guide says soon about our outlook. But as far I'm concerned, it's 75 wins. Next year, I hope to repaint that wall and write a bigger number up there."

As we near the start of the 2052 regular season, here are five Jackrabbits in particular to keep an eye on in 2052:

- RF/1B Ricardo Mendoza. Now nearing age 31, "Moo" Mendoza has been a prolific hitter in the BBA in his 20's. He was a solid contributor on the Nine and the Popes, two very successful BBA organizations. He managed to hit .352 in 2042 and .341 and 2046. He won two Cartwright Cup MVP's with the Nine earlier in his career. The BBA seemed to forget about this veteran in free agency. So in February, the Jackrabbits cleared a spot for him and pounced at the opportunity to sign Moo to a 4-year deal that will pay him $21.8 million. Mendoza hopes to prove that his days of tattooing right-handed pitching are far from over.

- RP/CL Juan Oliver (AAA). The hard-throwing righty will begin the year as the closer in AAA, but could be one of the first arms elevated to the majors if an opening arises. Realizing Oliver lacked the control necessary to crack the big league rotation, Jackrabbits pitching coach Peter Roberts and trainer Khaled bin Umair were given a special assignment to spend extra time with Oliver this off-season and fully convert him to a relief pitcher. We'll see if the transition pays off and helps solidify the Jackrabbits bullpen at some point this year.

- RF/DH Matt Garrison. He hit 32 homers in 2050, but injuries ruined Garrison's 2051 season with the Bluebirds. Nashville opted to trade Garrison to Edmonton this off-season to make room for other prospects that were blocked. Garrison represents the first big move made by the Jackrabbits to help improve their lousy power numbers and Johnson-worst .371 slugging percentage generated in 2051. Garrison up to this point has never hit well for average, but if his BABIP turns around and he hits above .280 with major power the Jackrabbits might not have to worry about reaching their 75 win goal.

- RP/SP Kaden Umair. Umair was included in the same Nashville trade with Garrison. Umair has an impressive fastball and velocity, but his other offerings still need a little work. He'll make his rookie debut with Jackrabbits pitching relief, and over the next few years we will see if he shows enough to fill a rotation spot. At the minimum, he could be a sturdy bullpen arm for years to come.

- OF/1B/3B Bhumimitra Keshab. "BK" was one of the young talents emerging in a sad 2051 and provided a silver lining last year. He hit .303 and sports very solid range in the outfield. He will be important as a younger compliment to the other many corner outfielders on the team who don't have the range defensively. He also could see more playing time in 2053 if veteran RF Jose Salas isn't resigned.

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[Jwalk100]

Mendoza should be a solid 120 OPS+ guy.

Garrison will do ok if he doesn't face lefties too much.