We begin with a disclaimer…
That we have no idea which teams stats are accurate or up to date. But, there is the “eye test,” the buzz around the league, and first impressions that we can go by for now.
With the league splitting into two divisions again and two caps created for the upper and lower divisions, AL GMs and Managers had to get creative in the off season and dig deep within their networks while researching family trees and genealogies to find fresh softball talent at as much of a rating discount as possible.
Its been a few weeks of play now, and we have all gotten a taste of what every other team is putting on the field. A few of the new guys to the league are definitely turning heads and raising some eyebrows though.
Let’s take a look at our Rookie of the Year candidates:
Steve Quock (516) – When this guy comes up to the plate, you do a double take to make sure he isn’t Hideki Matsui coming up to bat. Then, when he crushes the ball you do another double take, just to make sure again. After seeing Steve send a pitch over the fence at Cantiague A, you have to think that with that kind of power on a team that already has hitters up and down the lineup, this guy is going to produce some eye popping numbers. With Steve flanking Denon in the lineup you have a 1-2 punch that teams are having a hard time dealing with.
Kyle Bacchus (516) – Another big bat you have to watch out for flanking Denon and Steve.
Dex Ortiz (Savages) – The discount that Dex’s talent comes with, being rated a measly 3 with tournament level talent, gives the Savages the biggest value addition in the whole league. When you see what this guy does at the plate, already with 11 hits in 14 at bats giving him a .784 average, and his dynamic skill with the glove at various positions on the field, he will no doubt be in the rookie of the year conversation.
Jeremiah Morales (Savages) – Another discounted tournament level talent that, while he has yet to play, you’ll be talking about soon.
Ibrahim Mozawalla (Mets) – While this soft spoken talent hasn’t produced the buzz and eye popping numbers that the other players have next to their names on the stats page, at least yet, this rookie to the league is one to be taken seriously. As the previous under the radar segment says, the Mets success will no doubt be due in part to Ibrahim’s clutch situational hits and great plays in the field.
