The Tampa Bay Yankees look to be an offensive powerhouse, and with a blend of youngsters and veterans on the pitching staff, they look tough once again this season. However, new ownership in Philadelphia joins the Mets and the Lawmakers in the quest to dethrone the division champs. Will they be able to quiet those Florida bats? We examine the offseason moves that will impact the division, checking out the teams in the order they placed last season.
Tampa Bay YANKEES
New York Mets
Tampa Bay YANKEES
Key Departures: Lariel Macias (Trade).
Breakdown: The Yankees went 87-75 and advanced to the Division Championship Series last season. The pitching staff was solid, allowing a 4.38 ERA and only 170 HR, second fewest in MLB. Four starters posted double-digit win totals, and the closer by committee tactic helped the club convert 43 of 57 save chances. International free agent 1B Victor Cordero garnered Rookie of the Year honors while mashing 66 HR and OPSing 1.096.
Outlook: Four regulars smacked 40+ HR and drove in 100+ RBI, giving the club a solid returning core on offense. If 22-year-old LF Glen Brock can continue his meteoric rise, he will be a valuable addition to that lineup, as his .390 OBP was last season. The team slugged .482 last season; expect them to continue to hammer opposing pitching. Tampa Bay got a surprising 18 wins from veteran starter Rich DeShields, but many question whether he can maintain that pace at age 34. The team is counting on former first round pick Al Scott, who has raced through the minor leagues and into the Yankee rotation, to become a pitching stalwart for the foreseeable future and add balance to the potent offense. This team looks ready to put up a stiff defense of its division title and possibly make a run in the playoffs.
Key Acquisitions: Benito Javier (FA), Charles Yamada (FA).
Philadelphia Phanatics
Breakdown: 3B Alex Hodges produced in his first season in the Big Apple, hitting 42 HR at age 32, and three-time All-Star RF Bartolo Macias added 39 of his own. Despite those fine efforts, the team as a whole scored only 804 runs. The pitching staff was solid but rung up only 966 hitters, third-fewest in the majors. The team cut ties with disappointing veteran McKnight, who was 7-13 last season.
Outlook: To improve upon their lowly runs-scored total, the Mets will have to get on base more frequently; 1B Wesley Sterns led the team with an unremarkable .365 OBP. The club as a whole posted a .328 OBP, and that simply will not cut it. The team will look to veteran starter Kevin Gant to replicate the fine season he put up last year, when he posted a strong 1.29 WHIP. In the bullpen, expect Javier to add depth and nail down the closer role, making it tough to beat the Mets in the late innings. However, without a step forward at the plate, this club will still fall just short of a playoff berth.
Philadelphia Phanatics
Key Departures: Denny Masato (FA), Kenneth Cannon (FA), Juan Gomez (FA).
Key Acquisitions: None.
Breakdown: The Hartford Blue Whales finished an even 81-81 last season, and new ownership brought the team to the City of Brotherly Love and kept the competitive nucleus intact. The greatest offensive player of all time, Masato is 34 years old and did not mesh with the plans of the new owners going forward. His 46 HR and the 41 HR of Gomez will have to be replaced someplace if this team is to remain competitive. On the mound, Daniel Corsi fanned 172 batters, although the league did OBP .339 against him.
Outlook: The team hopes that journeyman reliever D.T. Stewart can bring some stability to a bullpen that blew 21 saves last season, while 23-year-old Trevor Cox will sink or swim in the big league rotation despite struggling at Triple-A last season. The team .870 OPS was good for second in all of baseball, led by young catcher Emil Johnson, who notched a 1.073 OPS in his first full season in the bigs and earned an All-Star nod. If they continue to get that kind of output from their young backstop and 1B Brady Sexson puts up another 108 RBI campaign, Citizens Bank Park could be hosting playoff games in its first season hosting a major league team.
Breakdown: Two-time All-Star 1B J.P. Trevino continued his hard hitting ways, smashing 43 HR and driving in 139 runs. He was largely alone in his efforts, however, as the team hit only 164 HR and slugged just .407. On the pitching side, Phillip Jenner put a stranglehold on the closer role, saving a perfect 17 of 17 and mowing down batters to the tune of a 0.97 WHIP, while Cliff Stanley put a stranglehold on opposing batters, going a career best 14-8 with an impressive three complete games.
Outlook: Ace Bubbles Wilkerson has a career 3.63 ERA and 467 Ks - at age 25! The lawmakers will put him atop the rotation and watch him continue to blossom into a superstar. The club has no doubt that Lira can replicate his .938 OPS in right at age 32, and declined the option of the aging Webb, who was showing signs of decline, to make room for him. The club also expects shortstop of the future Carl Washington to finally start to produce as they expect him to do for a long time to come. If they get that kind of progression, the Lawmakers could finally finish above .500 and out of the division cellar.
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