Warehouse Wire 2040.07: Silver Linings
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 10:10 am
2040 saw the Jimmies get back to competitive baseball, putting the mid to late 30's behind them and looking forward to the future of the franchise. At 87-75, it's the best record the team has posted since 2034. 2034 was the last time the team went over .500. Also the last time they made the playoffs. That milestone did not fall.
Unfortunately, an offense that paced the JL for most of the year sputtered down the stretch after carrying the team within striking distance of the division for most of the season. A solid September couldn't make up for the awful August the team had and they fell just short of nabbing a Wild Card. But for the franchise, this is only the beginning.
As we mentioned, the offense was great. Quinton Lara was probably the best catcher in the JL and arguably the BBA this year. The rookie proved to be more than ready despite limited time at AAA. He won't win the Gillstrom, which is a shame for the numbers he put up at such a demanding defensive position. But this is suppose to be a silver linings piece so lets move on from that.
Eliseu Satino more than earned his contract and looks like a near lock to opt-out of his contract after next year. Silver linings. Right. He finished 2nd in the JL with a .357 batting average. And even is defense was better than the organization anticipated. He even hit lefties well in his limited AB's which wasn't expected. He along with Lara may of been the biggest reasons for arguably the best offense in franchise history.
Former 2-time Silk winner Carlton Winson bounced back to lead the team with 37 HR's and a 1.010 OPS versus RHP. He slowed down in the 2nd half and may be due to get more off days next year to keep him fresher in the last year of his 6 year contract. Some said the team wouldn't be competitive with him still on the books, but here we are.
Top prospect Wilson Andrade made his long waited debut and didn't disappoint. An .853 OPS in his first 40 games is a very good start. Along with flashes of his plus glove, he put a 1.3 WAR which translates to 5.2 over 162 games. The organization expects big things from the young SS going forward.
We could go on with offensive standouts. Pitching didn't have the same standouts. Silver linings. Silver linings.
Well, Jorge Nevárez was solid again before his injury. And his skills have seemed to of filled out while on rehab despite the lack of development on his changeup. And the team should have Thiongo Muiru within the first month of next season. At this point, his rehab seems to be progressing without issues but he still has a long way to go. His presence will help fill a big hole in a weak rotation. Mauro Ríos is maturing quick despite his age and may get a look in the Spring. Brooks Stone is shaping up to be better than Ríos despite progressing slower. Slower, but progressing just fine. And in a weak draft where Charm City was one of only a handful of teams to sign their 1st round pick, they may have found a hidden gem in Maup Manshert. The team does have a decent amount of solid, potentially steady arms. That's something.
The average age of this team is 25.57, 6th youngest in the league. Only Yellow Springs had a better record with a younger team. That's before older players dropping off the team the next two offseasons. This team is going places. The team spent to the cap to start being competitive now, even overpaying some players. But money starts to fall off after 2041. And with most of the team either in pre-arbitration or early on in the process by that point, the window is wide open. And expect to stay that way for awhile.
Unfortunately, an offense that paced the JL for most of the year sputtered down the stretch after carrying the team within striking distance of the division for most of the season. A solid September couldn't make up for the awful August the team had and they fell just short of nabbing a Wild Card. But for the franchise, this is only the beginning.
As we mentioned, the offense was great. Quinton Lara was probably the best catcher in the JL and arguably the BBA this year. The rookie proved to be more than ready despite limited time at AAA. He won't win the Gillstrom, which is a shame for the numbers he put up at such a demanding defensive position. But this is suppose to be a silver linings piece so lets move on from that.
Eliseu Satino more than earned his contract and looks like a near lock to opt-out of his contract after next year. Silver linings. Right. He finished 2nd in the JL with a .357 batting average. And even is defense was better than the organization anticipated. He even hit lefties well in his limited AB's which wasn't expected. He along with Lara may of been the biggest reasons for arguably the best offense in franchise history.
Former 2-time Silk winner Carlton Winson bounced back to lead the team with 37 HR's and a 1.010 OPS versus RHP. He slowed down in the 2nd half and may be due to get more off days next year to keep him fresher in the last year of his 6 year contract. Some said the team wouldn't be competitive with him still on the books, but here we are.
Top prospect Wilson Andrade made his long waited debut and didn't disappoint. An .853 OPS in his first 40 games is a very good start. Along with flashes of his plus glove, he put a 1.3 WAR which translates to 5.2 over 162 games. The organization expects big things from the young SS going forward.
We could go on with offensive standouts. Pitching didn't have the same standouts. Silver linings. Silver linings.
Well, Jorge Nevárez was solid again before his injury. And his skills have seemed to of filled out while on rehab despite the lack of development on his changeup. And the team should have Thiongo Muiru within the first month of next season. At this point, his rehab seems to be progressing without issues but he still has a long way to go. His presence will help fill a big hole in a weak rotation. Mauro Ríos is maturing quick despite his age and may get a look in the Spring. Brooks Stone is shaping up to be better than Ríos despite progressing slower. Slower, but progressing just fine. And in a weak draft where Charm City was one of only a handful of teams to sign their 1st round pick, they may have found a hidden gem in Maup Manshert. The team does have a decent amount of solid, potentially steady arms. That's something.
The average age of this team is 25.57, 6th youngest in the league. Only Yellow Springs had a better record with a younger team. That's before older players dropping off the team the next two offseasons. This team is going places. The team spent to the cap to start being competitive now, even overpaying some players. But money starts to fall off after 2041. And with most of the team either in pre-arbitration or early on in the process by that point, the window is wide open. And expect to stay that way for awhile.