1 Apr 2057
Boise, Idaho
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by Tony Toney
Welcome back, everyone! It's another year which means new faces and old. A few things have changed in the planned rotation coming out of Spring Training but much stays the same.
Locks
LHP Logan Hill
2056: 31 G, 31 GS, 14-6, 200.2 IP, 3.27 ERA, +3.9 WAR
Hill is a Boise fixture having pitched at least 100 innings at the major league level since 2054. He could stand to lower his HR/9 of 1.0, but he turns in a QS roughly 60% of the time so he knows how to navigate opposing lineups. He's just entering his prime and he will pitch on Opening Day for the 2nd year running. He has 2 more years of arbitration so fans and management can sit back and enjoy the show.
LHP David 'The Fanning from Banning' Molina
2056: 6 G, 6 GS, 0-1, 20.0 IP, 4.95 ERA, +0.1 WAR
He finally debuts! Ok, not really, but he didn't make the last 5 of his starts until late September after going down for 6 months with shoulder inflammation in his first start of 2056. Many pundits point to his stamina as a possible weak point but if he can be efficient, when he throws he does so with fury and finesse. For a deep dive on Molina check here.
Semi-Locks
RHP Geoffrey 'Mack's Boy' Greening
2056: 17 G, 17 GS, 101.2 IP, 3.90 ERA, +1.2 WAR
Greening took the opportunity offered him in his rookie season and was more than solid. Like Hill, Greening needs to bump down his HR/9 of 1.2, but the youngster has solid strikeout numbers and can be counted on for a QS 60% of the time (again, like Hill). He is a semi-lock due to technical still being a rookie. It would take a pretty terrible run for Greening to step back to AAA for a bit so it's not impossible.
Door-stoppers
These guys will likely get plenty of starts with the chance to settle in MLB on the table:
RHP Marvin 'Groucho' Winston
2056(GBC): 33 G, 33 GS, 11-11, 219.0 IP, 3.41 ERA, +5.2 WAR
With Molina and Hill dealing from the left side of the mound, Winston gets the shot from the opposite side. Winston is a new signing but he's not entirely new to GM Ben Teague as he pitched for him at Buenos Aires of the GBC in early 2056. He can be erratic and that could cost him some starts, but he's solid with a career 4.15 ERA in the GBC and 3.53 over 8 years in Sacramento.
RHP Ommar bin Ayyub
2056: 28 G, 22 GS, 8-7, 130.2 IP, 5.10 ERA, +0.9 WAR
bin Ayyub is another righty and no stranger as he spent his 2036 season in Boise. He didn't solely work in the rotation as he had some rough patches, but he'll get the same opportunity to stick this year. With a fastball sitting at triple-digits bin Ayyub relies on overpowering hitters, which can backfire with hitters who love the hot stuff.
LHP Toshikuni Kubo
2056: 55 G, 7 GS, 6-4, 130.2 IP, 3.31 ERA, +2.0 WAR
Teague loves putting Kubo in the rotation, but with Molina and Hill cemented there he moves over to the bullpen primarily. But he will almost certainly see his time opening games especially in case of injury.
RHP Mark Baker
2056: 23 G, 12 GS, 6-5, 91.2 IP, 3.93 ERA, +0.5 WAR
Baker saw plenty of time in the majors and likely will again this season. But he begins the season in AAA to keep his arm stretched out.
LHP Mauro Mendoza
2056: 35 G, 27 GS, 11-10, 155.2 IP, 4.68 ERA, +2.0 WAR
Mendoza is the lefty left out as regards the MLB rotation. He begins the season in AAA as Teague was not overly comfortable with using three LHP in the rotation. Unlike Kubo, Mendoza is nearly 100% a starter and that will almost certainly be the case this season whether it is at MLB or AAA.